The Singapore equities market is buzzing. Market players are hoping it can last

[SINGAPORE] It is a Monday night, but the event space for an investment seminar by the Republic’s oldest stockbroking firm, Lim & Tan Securities (LTS), is packed to the brim. About 180 people are mingling, and there’s a palpable buzz as conversations flow and name cards are exchanged. It could easily be mistaken for a product launch or a corporate gathering – but it’s a seminar on investing in the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

“We reached full capacity, and had to pull up extra chairs for the event, and even reject people,” Nicholas Yon, research manager at LTS, told The Business Times.

Those who could not be accommodated had to join the seminar via an online broadcast.

LTS typically organises such investment seminars twice a year, in April and November. But the strong turnout at this session reflects a broader shift in market sentiment.

“We are now seeing a reweighting of companies, with many trading at much higher valuations. As stock prices go up, more want to participate,” Yon added.

For the past year, Singapore’s equities market has shown renewed signs of life, with rising investor interest, stronger corporate engagement, and a steady increase in activity across the ecosystem. Structural initiatives such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) S$6.5 billion Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP) have played a key role.

“Investors are looking at Singapore as a steady, well-governed market that makes sense as part of a diversified global portfolio, especially in an uncertain environment,” said Mahesh Sethuraman, Singapore CEO at trading platform Saxo.

Industry participants say the shift is increasingly visible. There are more enquiries on local equities from clients who used to focus only on the US market, alongside a growing calendar of investor briefings, networking sessions, and company site visits.

Market data reflects this improving sentiment. Average daily turnover on the Singapore Exchange has risen to about S$2 billion this year from S$1.3 billion in early 2025.

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At the end of the first quarter of 2026, the Straits Times Index (STI) gained 5.1 per cent to 4,885.45, with dividends lifting total returns to 5.6 per cent. In February, the index surpassed the 5,000 mark in February, hitting a historic milestone.

Trading activity for the quarter rose sharply to an all-time high, as average daily turnover soared 117 per cent on the quarter to S$63 million.

Retail participation has also strengthened. Data from the Singapore Exchange shows that retail investors were net buyers of S$1.5 billion in the first four monthsof 2026 (up to Apr 30), with inflows concentrated in financial services, real estate investment trusts (Reits), and consumer cyclicals.

“I personally benefited from it, because I have more business, more inquiries coming from investors themselves,” said Eric Oh, senior investment specialist and financial services manager at PhillipCapital.

It’s not just the retail segment, but also the large investors that are showing more interest in Singapore stocks. Tay Mei Yuen, head of global sales at CGS International Securities Singapore (CGSI), told BT that institutional investors are also becoming more active in searching for opportunities beyond traditional large-cap names.

“Small caps have certainly seen a clear resurgence of interest, particularly across construction, offshore marine, technology, as well as companies pursuing value-unlocking strategies such as Boustead,” she said. This is in contrast to previously, where the interest in the Singapore market was confined mostly to the yield-producing Reits and bank stocks.

To support this shift, CGSI began hosting its “Makan & Market Talk” series last year at its office event space.

Held roughly on a quarterly basis and limited to 40 to 45 guests, the sessions bring together investors, business leaders, and market practitioners to discuss Singapore’s market outlook and explore emerging equity opportunities.

The talks have been consistently oversubscribed. Topics covered include the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, the construction sector, and Singapore Reits.

Listed companies getting in on the action

Even listed companies are caught up in the activity. S Nallakaruppan, president of the Society of Remisiers and a remisier at LTS, noted that they are becoming more engaged with the investment community.

Listed firms such as Stoneweg and GuocoLand have begun actively inviting remisier members to presentations and corporate briefings, reflecting a growing recognition of their role in investor outreach and market engagement, he said.

Nallakaruppan added that the “epitome of market vibrancy” was in the 1990s, but “now, I see the momentum building up again for investor events”.

At the same time, exclusive site visits to listed companies are being organised by SGX and SGListCos, an industry association representing companies listed on the bourse’s mainboard and Catalist. The initiative is part of broader efforts to raise awareness of companies beyond the 30-stock STI and to showcase how they are enhancing shareholder value.

To date, four site visits have been held for Nanofilm Technologies International, StarHub, iFast Corporation and Pan-United Corporation. Three more sessions are scheduled in May and one in June, featuring Cosco Shipping International Singapore, Wee Hur Holdings, Centurion Corporation and Singapore Post.

SGListCos told BT that demand has been strong, with events often oversubscribed and organisers checking with companies if additional attendees can be accommodated.

IFast Corporation told BT that it welcomed more than 40 guests to its FSM Global Singapore office, including key opinion leaders, remisiers, trading representatives, analysts, investors and media.

Dan Chang, an investment specialist at PhillipCapital who attended the iFast site visit, said: “It’s always easier for us to understand when we have face-to-face interaction rather than through a screen or articles. When we speak to them (directly), we can clarify any queries on the spot, so it’s very interactive,” he said.

Even more engagement

As younger investors increasingly rely on digital platforms, companies and fund managers are turning to influencers and online channels to reach this audience – marking a shift in engagement strategies across the industry.

Personal finance content creators reported a noticeable uptick in queries about Singapore-listed companies, driven by a pick-up in initial public offering (IPO) activity and the growing visibility of local firms. This year has already seen four IPOs, namely The Assembly Place, UI Boustead Reit, Toku and Kin Global.

“The increase in market activity and the new highs of the STI have definitely helped in the vibrancy of the market,” Reginald Koh, founder of financial podcast network The Financial Coconut (TFC), told BT.

The network is focused on the business and finance space, with most discussions centred on personal finance, investments, trade and business.

“In my six years running a business and finance podcast network, this is the first time I’ve seen people widely care about the SGX,” Koh added.

TFC’s podcasts typically run between 40 and 50 minutes, and its audience is made up largely of middle to upper-income working professionals in Singapore, primarily millennials, with a growing segment of SME owners.

It has now introduced new segments focused on the Singapore-listed market, including its IPO Circle series.

Koh also noted that content related to SGX-listed companies, which previously drew limited interest, is now seeing significantly stronger engagement in terms of downloads and viewership.

Dawn Cher, the host of IPO Circle and a personal finance influencer popularly known as SG Budget Babe.

She said: “Previously, most enquiries were about US or Hong Kong stocks. Now, more are asking about Singapore-listed companies.”

Brokerages see more action

Greater market participation has inevitably been a boon for the brokerages. Digital brokerage Moomoo Singapore is seeing a clear step-up in engagement with the Singapore market, with both active clients and total trading value posting strong double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2026 versus the last quarter of 2025.

“Importantly, first-time participation is also rising, with a notable increase in clients making their first-ever trade on the Moomoo platform in Singapore in SG stocks,” said Jeyson Ng, CEO-designate at Moomoo Singapore. Popular stocks by volume include DBS , SIA , Yangzijiang Shipbuilding , OCBC and AEM .

Younger investors are also being increasingly drawn to SGX-listed stocks, noted Ian Leong, CEO at Tiger Brokers Singapore.

Leong noted that engagement is also cross-market in nature, with around 35 per cent of Tiger’s active US-equity clients also trading Singapore stocks. This means more than three in every ten US-active users are now participating in the local market.