Why invest in Singapore

[SINGAPORE] Singapore is a hub for many things today, and especially money. Bentleys in flashy colours and special edition Lamborghinis particularly raise eyebrows. But there also are many quiet and low-profile funds, corporate treasury operations and family offices.

There is a need for due diligence, as recent money laundering cases show. Yet while scrutiny is raised, more funds, family offices and rich foreigners continue to apply to enter Singapore. Who is investing in Singapore, and why, and how?

Bull runs

Our public equities market attracts attention, but not for the best reasons. The general perception is that Singapore stocks underperform – especially when compared with American markets – while new listings on Malaysian and Thai counterparts attract more interest. This seems contrarian when so much money is invested here.