Singapore, Jan 22, 2026, 15:07 SGT — Regular session
- Singtel shares slipped 0.7% to S$4.46 in afternoon trading
- Singapore’s STI index gained roughly 0.4% on the day
- Attention turns to bond-yield fluctuations and Singtel’s earnings release on Feb. 18
Shares of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) dipped 0.7% on Thursday, dropping to S$4.46 in afternoon trading as investors remained wary of dividend stocks sensitive to interest rates.
The stock fell around 2.4% across the last two sessions following Wednesday’s 1.75% decline, yet it remains up about 43% year-over-year. Intraday, it moved between S$4.44 and S$4.52, staying within its 52-week range of S$3.08 to S$4.92, according to data from Investing.com.
The shift is significant because Singtel features in many portfolios as an income stock. Stocks like these often serve as “bond proxies” — reliable dividend payers investors lean on like bonds — so a sharp rise in long-term yields can quickly undercut their appeal.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.4% to roughly 4,830 points, bouncing back after a 0.4% drop on Wednesday, according to data.
On Wednesday, risk appetite took a hit from what Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote, called an “exotic blend” of geopolitics and bond market moves. She highlighted rising tensions over Greenland alongside a sell-off in Japanese government bonds. The Business Times
Japan’s 30-year government bond yield climbed roughly 40 basis points across two trading days, breaking through 3.8%. The 40-year yield also surged past 4%, Reuters reported this week.
Ales Koutny, head of international rates at Vanguard, commented that investors are currently absorbing a “race to see who can promise to spend more money.” Reuters
Fitch Ratings predicts Japan’s government will hold deficits “within manageable levels” following next month’s lower-house election, Reuters reported. Still, bond market pressure is mounting after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi promised to suspend a food levy for two years. On Tuesday, the 10-year JGB yield surged to a 27-year peak. Reuters
The day’s geopolitical tensions cooled somewhat after U.S. President Donald Trump dropped his threat to impose fresh tariffs on imports from Europe and Greenland. He also mentioned that European leaders were nearing a deal framework, Reuters reported.
Singtel’s next earnings report, set for Feb. 18, is now in focus, especially around pricing, costs, and spending strategies. According to Investing.com, the stock offers a dividend yield near 4.05%, with 17 analysts setting an average 12-month price target of S$5.192.
But the dynamic works both ways. Should Japan’s bond sell-off intensify and global yields climb further, high-dividend stocks could rapidly fall out of favor; if yields hold steady, buyers tend to rush back just as quickly.
Traders are eyeing the next chapter in Japan’s yield saga and any new tariff hints from Davos. Still, Singtel investors have their sights set on Feb. 18 as the next key date.
