Singapore, Jan 19, 2026, 15:27 SGT — Regular session
- Singapore Exchange shares fell roughly 0.9% in afternoon trading
- SGX will introduce 20-year mini Japanese government bond futures before the end of this month
- Investors are eyeing the Feb 5 first-half results briefing for clues on volume and future outlook
Shares of Singapore Exchange Ltd (S68.SI) slipped 0.9% to S$17.54 by 3:10 p.m. in Singapore, after fluctuating between S$17.52 and S$17.71 earlier in the session. The stock remains close to its 52-week peak, having climbed significantly over the last year. 1
The pullback is significant as SGX looks to expand its rates and derivatives operations just as investors grow uneasy over global policy shocks and changing interest-rate trajectories. Typically, more hedging fuels higher trading volumes, which exchanges rely on heavily.
Japan’s bond market is feeling the heat. After years of ultra-low borrowing costs, traders are shifting their positions in response to rising inflation and interest rates. At the same time, foreign investment in yen-denominated bonds has been erratic.
SGX plans to launch 20-year “mini” Japanese government bond (JGB) futures on Jan. 26, expanding beyond its current 10-year JGB and Tokyo overnight average rate (TONA) futures, The Business Times reported. William Chin, SGX’s head of rates and derivatives, told the paper, “We would love to build out a Japan rates curve.” 2
Risk appetite soured again Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries over Greenland, dragging stocks down and rattling currencies. “Any hopes that the tariff tensions had eased this year are clearly off the table,” said Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding. 3
For SGX, choppy trading cuts both ways. It can sap appetite for equities, yet boost demand for futures and other derivatives as tools to hedge against rate and market swings.
SGX Group will release its first-half FY2026 results before the market opens on Feb. 5. CEO Loh Boon Chye and CFO Daniel Koh are set to hold a briefing at 9:00 a.m. Singapore time.
Japan rates traders are eyeing the Bank of Japan’s upcoming monetary policy meeting scheduled for Jan. 22–23. This decision frequently shapes yield trends and hedging activity. 4
New contracts don’t always catch on fast. When liquidity is thin, big funds usually hold back, and revenue gains can drag. A more dovish BOJ and easing tariff worries could also dampen the volume surge SGX hopes to capitalize on.
Traders eye whether the stock can stay near recent highs ahead of the Jan. 26 launch, then turn their focus swiftly to Feb. 5, when management will discuss derivatives activity and share their outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year.
