Singapore, Feb 9, 2026, 17:58 SGT — That’s a wrap on the session.
- DBS fell 1.9% to S$58.19, with shares slipping after the bank missed fourth-quarter profit estimates.
- The read-through was all about net interest margin pressure, along with a less upbeat profit outlook for 2026.
- Next up: the April 8 ex-dividend date, with results from UOB and OCBC also due later this month.
DBS Group Holdings slid 1.9% on Monday, settling at S$58.19 after the bank posted a fourth-quarter profit decline that came in below expectations. Shares dropped S$1.11 from Friday’s close, matching the session’s early 1.9% dip. 1
DBS, Singapore’s largest bank and a major player in local portfolios, is first out of the gate among the “big three” lenders this earnings season. The market had already closed, so investors will be combing through the guidance, hunting for any sign that the sector’s margin edge could be slipping as rates come down. 2
DBS is looking at 2026 net profit landing just under what it expects for 2025, with the bank also flagging softer net interest income as local rates ease off and the Singapore dollar holds steady. For traders, net interest margin remains the key figure—it’s the spread between loan yields and deposit costs—especially when rates are shifting. 3
DBS posted a 10% drop in net profit to S$2.26 billion for October through December, falling short of the S$2.55 billion consensus estimate tracked by LSEG. Net interest margin narrowed to 1.93%, down from 2.15% a year ago. Return on equity also slid, coming in at 13.5% versus last year’s 15.8%. Analysts Tay Wee Kuang and Lim Siew Khee at CGS International flagged soft trading income as the key factor weighing on results. 4
DBS chief executive Tan Su Shan warned at the results briefing that investors should “buckle up” for what could be a turbulent 2026. The bank is targeting to keep total income steady with 2025 figures. For the quarter, deposits climbed 3% to S$610 billion, while loans edged up 2% to S$451 billion. DBS also pointed to a cautious downgrade of its previously watch-listed Hong Kong real estate exposure, driving specific allowances to 36 basis points of loans, up from 20 basis points a year ago. 5
Dividend-focused investors just got more to circle on the calendar. DBS’ investor relations update lists a final dividend of 66 Singapore cents per share and an additional capital return dividend of 15 cents, both set with an April 8 ex-dividend date and payout slated for April 17. 6
DBS shares moved from S$58.18 up to S$58.95 on Monday, with the stock having seen lows of S$36.30 and highs of S$60.00 over the past year. Data put the last close at S$59.30. 7
DBS pulls in revenue from institutional banking, consumer/wealth management, and trading desks, so its bottom line reacts to shifts in lending margins and fluctuations in trading plus fees. That diversity can soften the blow in choppy markets, though it tends to muddy the waters for quarterly comparisons—especially when rates and currencies are moving together. 8
The risks aren’t hard to spot here: if interest rates fall more quickly than anticipated, margins get squeezed even tighter. Weakness in regional property or corporate credit? That only adds to the problem, likely forcing up provisions and offsetting gains from fee income and dividend payouts.
Eyes now turn to United Overseas Bank’s earnings on Feb. 24 and OCBC’s report a day later, after DBS kicked off the season with a disappointing profit and a warning on 2026. That miss set the backdrop for what’s next. 9
