Singapore

The Argument for a Third Sovereign Wealth Fund: Singapore’s Next Step
28Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Singapore

The Argument for a Third Sovereign Wealth Fund: Singapore’s Next Step

Singapore’s sovereign wealth management ecosystem, comprising the Government Investment Corporation (GIC), Temasek Holdings, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has been instrumental in securing financial stability and generating long-term returns. However, the shifting global economic landscape necessitates a third sovereign fund—one specifically designed to capitalize on high-growth opportunities in the Global South while accelerating domestic innovation. As global economic power disperses — the Global South an emergent pole —and the dynamics of investment evolve, Singapore must proactively adapt to sustain its financial influence. The creation of a third sovereign fund would serve as a strategic tool to: Expand Singapore’s economic reach into high-growth but underinves...
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Singapore Business Review International Business Awards 2025 honor FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore.
21Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Singapore

Singapore Business Review International Business Awards 2025 honor FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore.

FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore was honoured for transforming Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) maintenance operations with its innovative Asset Inspection and Management System (AIMS), designed and curated by CAG’s Engineering Development Group (E&D) Innovation & Process Enhancement (IPE) team over a six-year journey. This was a win-win collaboration, where the E&D IPE team used their subject matter knowledge of CAG’s operations to jointly develop an “all-in-one” Asset Management digital tool with FBSG. FUJIFILM Business Innovation Singapore won the IT Services accolade at the Singapore Business Review (SBR) International Business Awards 2025 after it successfully streamlined operations for CAG’s E&D team through the use of AIMS. The newly implemented solution aut...
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Decentro expands in South Asia with Singaporean company DigiAlly.
8Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Singapore

Decentro expands in South Asia with Singaporean company DigiAlly.

Financial infrastructure firm Decentro partnered Singapore-based fintech DigiAlly to ramp up presence in Southeast Asia, launching a business credit underwriting solution. The partnership will enable the Bengaluru-based company to enter global markets such as Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, The Philippines, Indonesia, and deepen presence in India. Decentro launched a unified business financial intelligence suite that enables companies in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector to analyse financial reports and trade history. It also allows verification of data into a single sheet.
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A query from traders The Sanctuary Status of Singapore as a Tariff Crater Stocks
7Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Singapore

A query from traders The Sanctuary Status of Singapore as a Tariff Crater Stocks

Welcome to this special issue of the Singapore Edition newsletter. I’m John Cheng, Asia stocks reporter in Singapore, with a roundup on the market turmoil in our region triggered by US President Donald Trump’s shock tariff announcements last week. Sign up here for future editions. Lower down, I’ve added links to our best coverage from across Asia Pacific and world. Tariffs Test City-State’s Haven StatusSingapore’s status as an oasis of stability in times of crisis is being severely tested, as traders grapple with the worst stock selloff since the Global Financial Crisis. The Straits Times Index Monday fell 7.5%, in its biggest drop since Oct. 2008, with all 30 members of the benchmark in the red. True, Singapore isn’t the worst performer in Asia Pacific: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Ind...
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Singapore becomes a haven for companies and investors fleeing tensions between the US and China.
24Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore, USA

Singapore becomes a haven for companies and investors fleeing tensions between the US and China.

Its reputation of political neutrality — and strength in life sciences — is making Singapore a favoured launchpad for western investors and Chinese startups. Two years ago, Polaris Partners, the investment arm of US pharmaceutical company Polaris, opened an office in Singapore as it started to ramp up investments in the Asian country. “Singapore has an extraordinary ecosystem,” says Amy Schulman, managing partner at Polaris Partners. “It has first rate science that gets a good amount of government support. It has terrific intellectual property protection, and it has organised rule of law system that makes things very appealing.” Singapore’s favourable tax system and English-speaking business community have also made it an ideal jumping off point for international companies se...
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Singapore Stock Market May Extend Gains On Positive Sentiment
24Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Market, Singapore

Singapore Stock Market May Extend Gains On Positive Sentiment

The Singapore stock market, represented by the Straits Times Index (STI), ended a three-day losing streak on Thursday, closing 25.36 points or 0.67% higher at 3,806.57. Gains were led by financial and property stocks, while industrial counters showed mixed performances. Top performers included DBS Group, which rallied 1.13%, and Hongkong Land, which rose 1.20%. Comfort DelGro gained 0.72%, while SingTel advanced 0.97%. However, Seatrium Limited fell 1.33%, and Keppel Ltd shed 0.45%. The positive momentum is expected to continue, supported by upbeat global cues as European and US markets closed higher. This optimism comes ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, with analysts expecting Asian markets to follow suit. Additionally, Singapore’s industrial production data for December...
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Home prices in Singapore increase 2.3% as market speculation increases.
24Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Market, Singapore

Home prices in Singapore increase 2.3% as market speculation increases.

Singapore home prices rose at the same pace as initially estimated in the last quarter of 2024, amid analyst forecasts that the government may intervene to cool the market this year. Private residential prices climbed 2.3% in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, according to final figures released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on Friday, matching an earlier estimate. For the whole of 2024, prices rose 3.9%. Rents for private homes – closely watched by expats and locals alike – were unchanged from the previous three months, when they gained 0.8%. It contributed to a 1.9% fall in rents in 2024, the first drop since 2020. The resurgence in residential values was driven by a flurry of projects released around the end of last year. Lower interest rates attract...
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Singapore warns of a downturn in GDP as it eases monetary policy for the first time since 2020.
24Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Singapore

Singapore warns of a downturn in GDP as it eases monetary policy for the first time since 2020.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said it would slightly reduce the slope of its exchange rate policy band, known as the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate or S$NEER. MAS said Singapore’s growth momentum is expected to slow over this year, and core inflation “has moderated more quickly than expected.” Singapore on Friday loosened its monetary policy for the first time since 2020, citing a faster than expected decline in inflation and warning about a growth slowdown. The Monetary Authority of Singapore said it would slightly reduce the slope of its exchange rate policy band, known as the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate, or S$NEER. In its release, MAS said Singapore’s growth momentum is expected to slow this year, and core inflation “has mo...
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As tensions between the US and China increase, Malaysia links its fortunes to Singapore.
22Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, USA

As tensions between the US and China increase, Malaysia links its fortunes to Singapore.

New special economic zone paves way for closer relations between one-time south-east Asian rivals As tensions ratchet up between two of Malaysia’s biggest trading partners, the US and China, the south-east Asian nation is increasingly looking to hitch its wagon to its more successful neighbour, Singapore. A special economic zone straddling the two countries — along with a raft of initiatives to build stronger ties — has been designed to help the pair withstand tougher global economic trading conditions. “We are entering a new era where global tensions are here to stay,” warned Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong this month at the signing of an agreement to create the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. “The world is becoming a more dangerous and troubled place. This...
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November saw a sharp increase in Singaporean industry output, but the forecast for 2025 is still uncertain.
27Dec mmBy Walter ParezNo Comments
Market, Singapore

November saw a sharp increase in Singaporean industry output, but the forecast for 2025 is still uncertain.

SINGAPORE - Singapore’s manufacturing output expanded for a fifth straight month in November as production surged in the key electronics industry, which likely got a boost from front-loading ahead of possible US tariff hikes. Analysts were cautious about the uncertain outlook for manufacturing in 2025, given the incoming Trump administration’s more protectionist stance and heightened geopolitical tensions. Total factory output climbed 8.5 per cent year on year, after a modest 1.2 per cent rise in October. The expansion, however, fell short of the 9.7 per cent growth forecast by economists in a Bloomberg poll. Excluding the more volatile biomedical industry, output increased 13 per cent, data from the Economic Development Board on Dec 26 showed. “Export demand for electronics r...
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