SGX securities trading value climbs 35% on year in August on retail buying, STI rally

[SINGAPORE] The securities daily average value (SDAV) on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) jumped 35 per cent year on year in August to S$2.2 billion, driven by robust retail interest in real estate investment trusts (Reits) and the small to mid-cap stocks, alongside a record-breaking rally in the Straits Times Index (STI).

The total securities market turnover for the month rose 29 per cent year on year to S$43.3 billion, market statistics released by the bourse operator on Thursday (Sep 10) indicated.

On a month-on-month basis, SDAV grew 8 per cent in August. Retail investors actively bought price dips during the month, their participation expanding 22 per cent month on month in Reits, and by 11 per cent in small and mid-cap counters.

Overall derivatives activity registered a slight pullback. Total derivatives traded volume fell 1 per cent year on year to 27.1 million contracts, while derivatives daily average volume (DAV) eased 2 per cent year on year to 1.3 million contracts.

Despite the top line decline in derivatives, equity futures registered localised strength.

SGX said: “Coordinated asset allocations by fund managers during the August peak of earnings season drove activity in equity futures.”

SGX STI Futures recorded more than double the DAV month on month, with open interest hitting a record S$49.5 million notional on Aug 28. SGX MSCI Singapore Index Futures open interest also reached S$11.8 billion notional at month-end, while DAV rose to S$2.98 billion notional – each at an all-time high.

In foreign exchange derivatives, total traded volume rose 47 per cent year on year to 8.1 million contracts as dollar weakness spurred portfolio hedging.

Chinese yuan, Indonesian rupiah and Korean won were among the top FX futures movers.

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DAV for the SGX USD/CNH FX Futures surged 43 per cent year on year to a notional US$19.7 billion. DAV for the INR/USD and KRW/USD contracts also climbed 38 per cent and nearly doubled year on year, respectively.

STI continues its rally

Meanwhile, the benchmark STI continued its upward momentum, setting successive record highs in August. It closed the month at a high of 5,755.36, up 35 per cent from the year before, outperforming the rest of its regional Asean peers on a year-to-date basis.

The turnover in STI constituents climbed 44 per cent year on year to S$1.5 billion, boosted by both institutional and retail flows, SGX said.

STI exchange-traded funds (ETFs) notched an 18th consecutive month of net inflows, accumulating S$1.6 billion and bringing total assets under management to S$5.8 billion.

On the commodities end, SGX cleared the equivalent of 4.5 million metric tonnes of petrochemicals in August. This brought the total volume over the first eight months of 2026 to about 40 million tonnes, nearing the full-year figure recorded for 2025.