• Singapore NODX declined 21% y-o-y in March, trailing South Korea’s 3% y-o-y growth and Taiwan’s 19% y-o-y growth in March. These mixed export reports for March for the three trade hubs followed on from strong growth in January, and comparatively more muted export reports in February.

• The iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index, with multi-sector constituents that mostly maintain international businesses and significant levels of APAC operations, has also started the year on a weaker note, with an 8.9% decline in total return and close to three gainers for every five decliners across the 100+ constituents.

• In the 2024 year to 17 April, the Index has bucked the trend of net institutional outflows across the broader local stock market, with S$68 million in net institutional inflow. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, Venture Corp, ST Engineering, Thai Beverage and Frencken have led these net inflows.

• Among the 50 most traded stocks of the iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index this year, the past 15 weeks have seen Global Invacom, Broadway Industrial, Willis-Array, Riverstone, Beng Kuang Marine and Mermaid Maritime chalk up the biggest surges in trading activity, compared to respective levels for the full 2023 year.

Singapore’s March NODX contracted by 20.7% y-o-y in March 2024 following the 0.2% decline in February 2024. This brought the 1Q24 NODX contraction to 3.4%. The March 2024 decline was on a high base in March 2023 and driven largely by non-electronics, including pharmaceuticals. Electronics also declined by 9.4% y-o-y, after growing 5.2% y-o-y in February. Across the region, South Korea saw 3.1% y-o-y export growth and Taiwan saw 18.9% y-o-y export growth in March. These mixed export reports for March for the three trade hubs followed on from strong growth in January, and comparatively more muted export reports in February. The similar trajectory of recent export growth across the three trade hubs from Jan 2022 through to Jan 2024 is illustrated below.

Source: Refinitiv

The iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index has generated an 8.9% decline in total return in the 2024 year to 17 April, with 37 gainers, 4 constituents unchanged and 63 decliners. At the same time, the Index has partially reversed S$193 million in net institutional outflows in 2023 with S$68 million of net institutional inflow in the 2024 year through 17April.

The 10 iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index constituents that have led the net institutional inflow over the past 15 weeks are tabled below.

Note: Refinitiv consensus estimates target price which represents the average of individual estimates provided by analysts covering the stock. Estimates typically represent an analyst's opinion of the stock performance over the next 18 months.
^ denotes on SGX Watchlist.
Source: SGX, Refinitiv (Data as of 17 April 2024)

Among the 50 most traded stocks of the iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index, six stocks have seen their average daily traded turnover this year more than double from full 2023 levels. Global Invacom, Broadway Industrial Group, Willas-Array Electronics, Riverstone and Beng Kuang Marine and Mermaid Maritime have seen the most increases in trading turnover. Performances of the six stocks have varied from a 6% gain for Global Invacom to a 194% gain for Beng Kuang Marine.

^ denotes on SGX Watchlist.
Source: SGX, Refinitiv (Data as of 17 April 2024)

Beng Kuang Marine Ranked Singapore’s Strongest Manufacturing-related Play over Past 15 Weeks

Beng Kuang Marine has been the Singapore stock market’s second strongest performing stock this year, while ranking among the 80 most traded stocks by turnover and just outside the 30 stocks with the highest net institutional inflow.

Powered by strong business drivers in 2HFY23 (ended 31 Dec), Beng Kuang Marine posted an FY23 turnaround with net profit of S$7.9 million and revenue growth increasing 33.9% to S$79.2 million with gross profit surging 98.9% to S$24.9 million. With part of its turnaround strategy comprising an asset-light and service-oriented business model that is anchored by its two core business divisions, Infrastructure Engineering (IE) and Corrosion Prevention (CP), the Group continue to perform resiliently within the offshore and marine market, particularly in the 2H23 as revenue surged 57.2% to S$47.31 million.

Higher demand for its FPSO and FSO contracting, and maintenance services propelled the Group’s IE growth momentum with organic revenue growth of 85.9% and 47.0% in 2HFY23 and FY23, respectively. Coupled together with the exit of its loss-making business operations, the Group’s costs minimisation and productivity measures undertaken in recent years have progressively improved its gross profit margin to 31.5% in FY23 from 21.2% in FY22, driving gross profit growth of 98.9% to S$24.91 million in FY23.

Its net cash inflow generated from operating activities was S$5.95 million in FY23. During FY23, the Group announced partial land sales and asset disposals with an aggregate consideration of approximately S$22.5 million in cash as part of its monetisation and deleveraging initiatives. As compared to the previous corresponding period, the Group’s cash and cash equivalents increased significantly by 81.6% to S$12.19 million, while total borrowings reduced 36.3% to S$14.14 million as of 31 Dec 2023. In January 2024, the Group completed the final partial land sale of its Batam shipyard property, and it has received the remaining amount of the sale consideration of approximately S$7.6 million in cash .

While the stock is on the SGX watchlist, it expects to sustain and build upon this positive business momentum for FY24 by targeting the emerging growth trends within the offshore and marine industry.