Singapore shares rise on first trading day of 2026; STI up 0.2%
The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index climbs 0.6% or 8.24 points to 1,458.37
[SINGAPORE] Local stocks rose on Friday (Jan 2) as markets reopened after New Year festivities, on the back of the Republic reporting 4.8 per cent gross domestic product growth for 2025.
The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.2 per cent or 9.91 points to finish at 4,656.12. Meanwhile, the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index climbed 0.6 per cent or 8.24 points to 1,458.37.
Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 369 to 209, after 1.8 billion securities worth S$958.3 million changed hands.
The strong market start followed advance estimates from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Friday that showed Singapore’s economy grew 4.8 per cent last year – the fastest pace since 2021’s 9.8 per cent year-on-year expansion, said OCBC chief economist Selena Ling.
She added that this was well above medium-term trend growth, also noting: “This impressive outcome marked a significant upward revision from earlier forecasts that had projected slower growth, and reflected resilient global economy and export demand, some front-loading ahead of reciprocal tariff pressures, and also broad-based gains across key sectors.”
OCBC maintained its 2026 GDP growth forecast at 2 per cent, while MTI projected a full-year expansion of 1 to 3 per cent.
On the STI, the top gainer was Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust , which rose 1.5 per cent or S$0.01 to end at S$1.01.
Meanwhile, Jardine Matheson was at the bottom of the table. It was down 1.1 per cent or US$0.78 at US$67.61.
The three local banks ended higher. DBS gained 0.1 per cent or S$0.04 to close at S$56.40, OCBC rose 0.5 per cent or S$0.09 to S$19.85, and UOB was up 0.5 per cent or S$0.19 at S$35.25.
Globally, stocks started 2026 on a positive note amid thin holiday trading. Investors anticipate a year shaped by the artificial intelligence-led rally, a US Federal Reserve leadership change, and potential market volatility under Donald Trump’s presidency.
Key regional indices ended mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 2.8 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi gained 2.3 per cent, while Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa KLCI fell 0.6 per cent. Markets in Japan and mainland China remained closed.
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