Quick takes: Singapore banks touch earnings estimates, restore dividends

WITH DBS closing the results season on Thursday, all three Singapore banks have restored their dividend payouts to pre-pandemic levels.

Analysts have expected the banks - which are highly capitalised - to be able to normalise their payouts, following the lift in dividend cap by the regulator.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in July lifted its dividend cap on locally incorporated banks and finance companies based in Singapore. It joins other central banks that have recently eased dividend restrictions imposed on banks last year, as the global economy rebounds amid gradual reopenings and rapid vaccine roll-outs.