Could local investors have beaten the S&P 500?

READERS of The Business Times had a lot to say this past week about the chronically weak performance of the Singapore stock market, following our recent reports and commentaries on the issue.

For many, being told that the Straits Times Index (STI) delivered a total return of only 60.3 per cent during the 10-year period to Aug 20 - while the S&P 500 index and FTSE All-World Index returned 383.8 per cent and 220.2 per cent, respectively - was not a surprise but a numerical expression of the frustration they have endured for years.

For some, however, the STI's relatively low total return of 60.3 per cent was an acceptable trade-off for the bulk of that return being delivered in the form of dividends.