US$ rally a boon for some SGX firms

Singapore

THE US dollar's recent climb against the Singapore dollar and other currencies may boost the financials of some Singapore-listed companies, albeit marginally, given the hedges several of them have in place, analysts say.

They generally agree that counters in the shipyard and tech sectors stand to gain from the stronger US dollar, while airlines would rely on hedging to cushion the impact on fuel costs.

The greenback started 2018 feebly at S$1.328, its lowest since June 2016, and sank further to S$1.306 on Jan 25 following US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's comments that he would welcome a weaker currency.

It hovered below S$1.330 until April 11, when it started to climb once ag…