Singapore, Feb 28, 2026, 15:27 SGT — The session wrapped up with markets closed.
- The Straits Times Index climbed 0.6% to close at 4,995.07 on Friday.
- The benchmark ended the week down roughly 0.4%, having touched a record high at the start of Monday’s session.
- March kicks off with traders eyeing late-arriving earnings and offshore risk signals.
The Straits Times Index (STI) in Singapore wrapped up last week a shade below 5,000, having kicked off with a burst to a new record before losing some steam mid-week. Investors sifted through late-stage earnings while global risk appetite turned patchier.
The benchmark finished Friday at 4,995.07, rising 0.6%, local market reports showed. Still, it slipped roughly 0.4% compared to last week’s close, after swinging from Monday’s high of 5,041.33 to a low near 4,964 on Thursday.
Why it matters now: The STI is circling a big, round number that’s turning into a battleground for quick trades. Investors are still parsing how sturdy those dividends are and weighing the latest guidance as results season wraps.
External factors are also in play. Global tech shares tumbled late in the week and shifting bets on rate cuts have Asian risk assets keyed into U.S. inflation reads and tariff talk, despite upbeat local news.
Friday saw Yangzijiang Shipbuilding surge 10.7%, topping the STI leaderboard. Venture Corp, on the other hand, lagged behind as the index’s weakest name, slipping 7.5%. Stock-pickers stuck to rotating names inside the STI rather than chasing moves elsewhere.
Singapore banks caught plenty of attention earlier this week. Investors sifted through dividend moves and margin hints in earnings, after UOB warned about net interest margin pressure but highlighted ASEAN expansion as a cushion.
OCBC posted higher quarterly earnings, helped by a boost from wealth management fees. Investors zeroed in on the bank’s 2026 guidance and its strategy for returning capital—topics that have gained weight as the search for reliable cash payouts intensifies.
Sembcorp Industries slipped, weighed down by a modest drop in full-year profit and management’s heads-up about tighter gas margins on fresh contracts. The company’s update serves as a reality check: even so-called “defensive” stocks can turn on you when spreads narrow. Reuters
Still, there’s no mistaking the downside: should offshore yields spike once more, or if fresh U.S. growth and trade news turns sour, Singapore’s big names could find it tough to keep their momentum—particularly now, with the index brushing up against all-time highs.
Monday’s session brings more late-cycle earnings and corporate news, especially from smaller caps even as the blue-chip rush winds down. Fresh results are still trickling in.
Singapore’s official foreign reserves figures are expected by March 9, a release traders often scan closely as a top-tier gauge of the nation’s macro health and a read on global risk appetite.
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