When everything is working, check your ego at the door

THE Straits Times Index (STI) closed above the 5,700 mark for the first time in late July 2026. It is a remarkable rise, with the index sweeping past milestone after milestone in the space of a few weeks.

But it also makes investors uneasy. The higher the number climbs, the thinner the air feels.

Then the bank results came in last week. DBS Group crossed S$6 billion in quarterly income for the first time, delivering a record net profit of nearly S$3.1 billion. Singapore’s biggest bank declared S$0.81 in dividends per share, up from S$0.75 a year earlier.