Share prices of Singapore banks dip following expectations of Fed rate hikes ending

THE local banking trio ended the trading day in the red after the US Federal Reserve hiked the federal funds rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday – suggesting the United States central bank is close to the end of its rate hiking cycle.

DBS led the fall with a 2 per cent decline to S$35.08, OCBC slid 0.8 per cent to S$12.88 and UOB slipped 0.3 per cent to S$29.63 on Thursday (Feb 2). The trio were among the six losers on the 30-stock Straits Times Index (STI), with DBS being the top loser.

The banks have been beneficiaries of policy rate hikes by the Fed, with their bread and butter – net interest margins (NIMs) – rising in tandem with higher borrowing costs.