Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There appears to be far less geopolitical risk with Singapore's banks than large globals</li>
<li>Impairment costs may be the best risk gauge, but also lending appetite</li>
<li>High oil prices and rising rates can both be highly positive to net profit</li>
</ul>


There appears to be far less geopolitical risk with Singapore's banks than large globals
Impairment costs may be the best risk gauge, but also lending appetite
High oil prices and rising rates can both be highly positive to net profit


Singapore Banks - Limited Geopolitical Risk

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Sumeet Singh

Head of Research, IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>On 5th May 2022, Thai Beverage announced that BeerCo will resume its Proposed Spin-off Listing. This time the company is aiming to raise less than US$1bn, as per media reports.</li>
<li>We have looked at various aspects of the deal earlier, as the company had tried to spin-off BeerCo in 2021 as well before finally calling it off in April 2021.</li>
<li>In this note, we talk about the recent updates for BeerCo.</li>
</ul>


On 5th May 2022, Thai Beverage announced that BeerCo will resume its Proposed Spin-off Listing. This time the company is aiming to raise less than US$1bn, as per media reports.
We have looked at various aspects of the deal earlier, as the company had tried to spin-off BeerCo in 2021 as well before finally calling it off in April 2021.
In this note, we talk about the recent updates for BeerCo.


ThaiBev BeerCo Pre-IPO - Back for Another Round

<ul>
<li>Ngern Tid Lor (NTL), a financial service provider based in Thailand, raised around US$1bn in its Thailand IPO in May 2021.</li>
<li>NTL provides hire purchase loans for motorcycles and cars, along with new and used trucks. It also provides insurance brokerage services through its branches for non-life and life insurance. </li>
<li>The lock-up on its two main shareholders will expire today.</li>
</ul>


Ngern Tid Lor (NTL), a financial service provider based in Thailand, raised around US$1bn in its Thailand IPO in May 2021.
NTL provides hire purchase loans for motorcycles and cars, along with new and used trucks. It also provides insurance brokerage services through its branches for non-life and life insurance. 
The lock-up on its two main shareholders will expire today.


Ngern Tid Lor IPO Lock-Up - A US$660m Overhang. Selldown Is a Question of When, Not If.

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Equity Bottom-Up

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 <div class='content-caption'>Share buyback</div>
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For the 5 trading sessions spanning Apr 29 to May 5, the Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.3 per cent, with the FTSE China A50 Index gaining 0.3 per cent, the Hang Seng Index gaining 2.5 per cent and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI declining 0.7 per cent. 

Overall, institutions were net buyers of Singapore stocks over the 5 sessions with S$67 million of net inflow, following S$53 million of net outflow for the preceding 5 sessions.

OCBC, Keppel Corporation, Singapore Telecommunications, Venture Corporation and Jardine Cycle &amp; Carriage led the net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions through to May 5.

Meanwhile, Yangzijiang Financial Holdings, UOB, Mapletree Logisitics Trust, Mapletree Industrial Trust and Thai Beverage received the highest net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions.

Overall, the total net institutional inflows into Singapore stocks in the 2022 year to May 5 came up to S$452 million, while the STI generated an 8.4 per cent total return. Share Buybacks 
There were 12 primary-listed stocks conducting share buybacks over the 5 sessions with a total consideration of S$44.5 million, up from S$10.5 million for the preceding week. 
Wilmar International, Keppel Corporation and Hong Fok Corporation led the consideration tally. 
Wilmar bought back 5.4 million shares at an average price of S$4.41 per share. 
For the previous year’s mandate, it bought back 19.9 million shares, which represented 0.32 per cent of the company’s issued shares (excluding treasury shares). 
The buybacks followed the company reporting financials for its Q1 FY22 (ended Mar 31) on Apr 29. Wilmar reported that its Q1 FY22 core net profit increased by 18.8 per cent year on year to US$503.4 million, attributed to the strong performance in the plantation and sugar milling segment, which was aided by firm palm oil prices. The company also noted that it has officially commenced its first central kitchen operations in Hangzhou, China in early April 2022.  
On Adani Wilmar, the company noted that from an IPO valuation of US$4 billion when it listed on the National Stock Exchange of India on Feb 8, 2022, its market capitalisation had increased by more than 3 times to above US$13 billion as at Apr 28, 2022. 
In addition, the valuation for Shree Renuka Sugars, the 62.5 per cent owned Indian sugar subsidiary, has also gone up sharply from US$863 million on Dec 31, 2021 to US$1.6 billion as at Apr 28, 2022. 
The company added that commodity prices had surged since the onset of the Russian and Ukraine conflict in February 2022 and while the contribution from the Russian and Ukrainian investments is not material, the sustained high commodity prices would benefit its plantation and sugar milling segment in the coming months. Director and substantial shareholder transactions 
The 5 trading sessions saw 100 changes to director interests and substantial shareholdings filed for close to 40 primary-listed stocks. 
This included 18 company director acquisitions with no disposals filed, while substantial shareholders filed 3 acquisitions and 3 disposals. Yangzijiang Financial Holding 
The 5 sessions saw multiple directors of Yangzijiang Financial Holding (YZJFH) acquire shares in the company on the open market. 
YZJFH was spun off from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, with the aim of unlocking value for the company’s shareholders. 
YZJFH intends to focus on investing in growth opportunities to achieve attractive risk-adjusted return, while seeking to provide a steady stream of dividends to shareholders through income generated from investment and fund management businesses. 
Shareholders in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding received shares of YZJFH via a dividend in-specie on a one-to-one basis. 
On Apr 29, YZJFH executive director and CEO Vincent Toe Teow Heng acquired 400,000 shares for a consideration of S$228,000 at 57.0 cents per share. 
Toe has over 25 years of experience in fund management and investment advisory, M&amp;A, IPO deals and fundraising, throughout Asia. 
Prior to joining ICHAM, a Singapore-based fund management company as managing director, he was an investment banker at UBS, DBS Bank and JP Morgan. 
Between Apr 29 and May 5, YZJFH lead independent director Chew Sutat acquired 312,000 shares for a consideration of S$164,820 at an average price of 52.8 cents per share. 
Chew was senior managing director and a member of Singapore Exchange’s executive management team for 14 years. 
Prior to joining SGX, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank, OCBC Securities and DBS Bank, where he held varying portfolios in strategic planning and business development for institutional banking and private clients. 
Between May 4 and 5, YZJFH independent director Chua Kim Leng acquired 150,000 shares for a consideration of S$73,500 at an average price of 49.0 cents per share. 
He currently serves on the board of the Casino Regulatory Authority, United Overseas Insurance, ADDX and TEHO International. In 2018, Chua stepped down from his role as special adviser (financial supervision) at the Monetary Authority of Singapore after 25 years of distinguished service. Sabana Industrial REIT 
On Apr 28, Sabana Real Estate Investment Management CEO Donald Han Yong Lee acquired 100,000 units of Sabana Industrial Reit at 45.0 cents per unit. 
On Apr 21, Han noted that the Reit had renewed 44.1 per cent of leases expiring this year and did so at positive rental reversion, while keeping the portfolio occupancy steady at 85.2 per cent. 
For its FY21 (ended Dec 31, 2021) the gross revenue of Sabana Industrial Reit increased by 14.2 per cent year on year to S$81.9 million with net property income increasing 16.4 per cent year on year to S$52.0 million. 
Han is an accomplished and respected consultant across most sectors in the property market, including industrial, having spent more than 30 years in various senior management and advisory positions. 
His experience ranges from residential agency to collective en bloc, office investment sales to retail leasing, regional hospitality and hotel disposition to international project marketing. JB Foods 
On Apr 29, JB Foods executive director and CEO Tey How Keong acquired 82,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$40,180. 
At 49.0 cents per share, this increased his total interest in JB Foods from 46.78 per cent to 46.81 per cent. 
This followed his acquisition of 29,600 shares at 47.3 cents per share on Mar 23 and 400,000 shares at 52.0 cents per share on Dec 27. 
JB Foods core business is in the production and sale of cocoa ingredient products, namely cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. 
Tey is responsible for the overall strategic, management and business development of the group and has over 25 years of experience in the cocoa business. 
He recently noted that while recent price volatility in cocoa has put pressure on the group to carefully manage its pricing strategy and the pace of expansion, investment and the ramp up of manufacturing capacity, the easing of travel restrictions around the world will continue to fuel stable growth of the cocoa and chocolate industry. 
Tey added that the group remains optimistic that the overall cocoa consumption environment will continue on its growth trajectory post-pandemic. Baker Technology 
On May 4, Baker Technology executive director Benety Chang acquired 82,300 shares of the company at an average price of 43.9 cents per share. 
With a consideration of S$36,127 this increased his total interest in the from 52.92 per cent to 52.96 per cent. 
Prior to this he acquired 279,000 shares of the company at an average price of 44.8 cents per share on March 9. 
He is the major shareholder of the company and has extensive experience in the offshore oil and gas industry. A-Sonic Aerospace 
Between Apr 29 and May 4, A-Sonic Aerospace chief executive officer Janet LC Tan acquired 30,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$21,300, at 71.0 cents per share. 
This took her total interest in the company from 59.94 per cent to 59.98 per cent. 
She has gradually increased her total interest in A-Sonic Aerospace from 53.35 per cent at the end of 2018. 
Tan has over 20 years of extensive experience in the aviation industry, with her responsibilities at A-Sonic Aerospace including the setting of the overall long-term business direction, developing business strategies, and implementing growth strategies for the A-Sonic Aerospace and its subsidiaries. 
On Apr 22, A-Sonic Aerospace announced it had submitted to SGX-ST an application to extend the cure period beyond Jun 4, 2022 to exit the SGX Watch List. Inside Insights is a weekly column on The Business Times,<a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/hong-fok-continues-buybacks-as-joint-ceo-raises-stake-0"> </a><a href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/wilmar-leads-buyback-tally-yzjfh-directors-acquire-shares">read </a>the original version.
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    Share buyback


For the 5 trading sessions spanning Apr 29 to May 5, the Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.3 per cent, with the FTSE China A50 Index gaining 0.3 per cent, the Hang Seng Index gaining 2.5 per cent and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI declining 0.7 per cent. 

Overall, institutions were net buyers of Singapore stocks over the 5 sessions with S$67 million of net inflow, following S$53 million of net outflow for the preceding 5 sessions.

OCBC, Keppel Corporation, Singapore Telecommunications, Venture Corporation and Jardine Cycle &amp; Carriage led the net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions through to May 5.

Meanwhile, Yangzijiang Financial Holdings, UOB, Mapletree Logisitics Trust, Mapletree Industrial Trust and Thai Beverage received the highest net institutional outflows for the 5 sessions.

Overall, the total net institutional inflows into Singapore stocks in the 2022 year to May 5 came up to S$452 million, while the STI generated an 8.4 per cent total return.  Share Buybacks  
There were 12 primary-listed stocks conducting share buybacks over the 5 sessions with a total consideration of S$44.5 million, up from S$10.5 million for the preceding week.  
Wilmar International, Keppel Corporation and Hong Fok Corporation led the consideration tally.  
Wilmar bought back 5.4 million shares at an average price of S$4.41 per share.  
For the previous year’s mandate, it bought back 19.9 million shares, which represented 0.32 per cent of the company’s issued shares (excluding treasury shares).  
The buybacks followed the company reporting financials for its Q1 FY22 (ended Mar 31) on Apr 29. Wilmar reported that its Q1 FY22 core net profit increased by 18.8 per cent year on year to US$503.4 million, attributed to the strong performance in the plantation and sugar milling segment, which was aided by firm palm oil prices. The company also noted that it has officially commenced its first central kitchen operations in Hangzhou, China in early April 2022.   
On Adani Wilmar, the company noted that from an IPO valuation of US$4 billion when it listed on the National Stock Exchange of India on Feb 8, 2022, its market capitalisation had increased by more than 3 times to above US$13 billion as at Apr 28, 2022.  
In addition, the valuation for Shree Renuka Sugars, the 62.5 per cent owned Indian sugar subsidiary, has also gone up sharply from US$863 million on Dec 31, 2021 to US$1.6 billion as at Apr 28, 2022.  
The company added that commodity prices had surged since the onset of the Russian and Ukraine conflict in February 2022 and while the contribution from the Russian and Ukrainian investments is not material, the sustained high commodity prices would benefit its plantation and sugar milling segment in the coming months.  Director and substantial shareholder transactions  
The 5 trading sessions saw 100 changes to director interests and substantial shareholdings filed for close to 40 primary-listed stocks.  
This included 18 company director acquisitions with no disposals filed, while substantial shareholders filed 3 acquisitions and 3 disposals.  Yangzijiang Financial Holding  
The 5 sessions saw multiple directors of Yangzijiang Financial Holding (YZJFH) acquire shares in the company on the open market.  
YZJFH was spun off from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, with the aim of unlocking value for the company’s shareholders.  
YZJFH intends to focus on investing in growth opportunities to achieve attractive risk-adjusted return, while seeking to provide a steady stream of dividends to shareholders through income generated from investment and fund management businesses.  
Shareholders in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding received shares of YZJFH via a dividend in-specie on a one-to-one basis.  
On Apr 29, YZJFH executive director and CEO Vincent Toe Teow Heng acquired 400,000 shares for a consideration of S$228,000 at 57.0 cents per share.  
Toe has over 25 years of experience in fund management and investment advisory, M&amp;A, IPO deals and fundraising, throughout Asia.  
Prior to joining ICHAM, a Singapore-based fund management company as managing director, he was an investment banker at UBS, DBS Bank and JP Morgan.  
Between Apr 29 and May 5, YZJFH lead independent director Chew Sutat acquired 312,000 shares for a consideration of S$164,820 at an average price of 52.8 cents per share.  
Chew was senior managing director and a member of Singapore Exchange’s executive management team for 14 years.  
Prior to joining SGX, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank, OCBC Securities and DBS Bank, where he held varying portfolios in strategic planning and business development for institutional banking and private clients.  
Between May 4 and 5, YZJFH independent director Chua Kim Leng acquired 150,000 shares for a consideration of S$73,500 at an average price of 49.0 cents per share.  
He currently serves on the board of the Casino Regulatory Authority, United Overseas Insurance, ADDX and TEHO International. In 2018, Chua stepped down from his role as special adviser (financial supervision) at the Monetary Authority of Singapore after 25 years of distinguished service.  Sabana Industrial REIT  
On Apr 28, Sabana Real Estate Investment Management CEO Donald Han Yong Lee acquired 100,000 units of Sabana Industrial Reit at 45.0 cents per unit.  
On Apr 21, Han noted that the Reit had renewed 44.1 per cent of leases expiring this year and did so at positive rental reversion, while keeping the portfolio occupancy steady at 85.2 per cent.  
For its FY21 (ended Dec 31, 2021) the gross revenue of Sabana Industrial Reit increased by 14.2 per cent year on year to S$81.9 million with net property income increasing 16.4 per cent year on year to S$52.0 million.  
Han is an accomplished and respected consultant across most sectors in the property market, including industrial, having spent more than 30 years in various senior management and advisory positions.  
His experience ranges from residential agency to collective en bloc, office investment sales to retail leasing, regional hospitality and hotel disposition to international project marketing.  JB Foods  
On Apr 29, JB Foods executive director and CEO Tey How Keong acquired 82,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$40,180.  
At 49.0 cents per share, this increased his total interest in JB Foods from 46.78 per cent to 46.81 per cent.  
This followed his acquisition of 29,600 shares at 47.3 cents per share on Mar 23 and 400,000 shares at 52.0 cents per share on Dec 27.  
JB Foods core business is in the production and sale of cocoa ingredient products, namely cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.  
Tey is responsible for the overall strategic, management and business development of the group and has over 25 years of experience in the cocoa business.  
He recently noted that while recent price volatility in cocoa has put pressure on the group to carefully manage its pricing strategy and the pace of expansion, investment and the ramp up of manufacturing capacity, the easing of travel restrictions around the world will continue to fuel stable growth of the cocoa and chocolate industry.  
Tey added that the group remains optimistic that the overall cocoa consumption environment will continue on its growth trajectory post-pandemic.  Baker Technology  
On May 4, Baker Technology executive director Benety Chang acquired 82,300 shares of the company at an average price of 43.9 cents per share.  
With a consideration of S$36,127 this increased his total interest in the from 52.92 per cent to 52.96 per cent.  
Prior to this he acquired 279,000 shares of the company at an average price of 44.8 cents per share on March 9.  
He is the major shareholder of the company and has extensive experience in the offshore oil and gas industry.  A-Sonic Aerospace  
Between Apr 29 and May 4, A-Sonic Aerospace chief executive officer Janet LC Tan acquired 30,000 shares of the company for a consideration of S$21,300, at 71.0 cents per share.  
This took her total interest in the company from 59.94 per cent to 59.98 per cent.  
She has gradually increased her total interest in A-Sonic Aerospace from 53.35 per cent at the end of 2018.  
Tan has over 20 years of extensive experience in the aviation industry, with her responsibilities at A-Sonic Aerospace including the setting of the overall long-term business direction, developing business strategies, and implementing growth strategies for the A-Sonic Aerospace and its subsidiaries.  
On Apr 22, A-Sonic Aerospace announced it had submitted to SGX-ST an application to extend the cure period beyond Jun 4, 2022 to exit the SGX Watch List.  Inside Insights is a weekly column on The Business Times, read the original version.



Wilmar leads buyback tally; YZJFH directors acquire shares

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<html><body>#whatstrending Ever wondered what is currently driving the local and regional markets? This new report series address some of the most trending questions/topics on the markets for investors. Designed to be educational, expect to get factual information on what is driving sectors and stocks listed on SGX Q: Singapore has announced further easing of border restrictions and stepped down DORSCON level from orange to yellow. How has this impacted the local equities market? 
Following the reopening of Singapore’s borders to all fully vaccinated travellers from 1 April 2022, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) reported that air passenger traffic in Singapore reached 400,000 or 31% of pre-COVID levels in the week ending 17 April 2022, up from 18% a month ago. Transport Minister S Iswaran on 4 May stated Changi Airport passenger volumes has more than doubled to reach close to 40% of pre-COVID levels in end-April, up from 18% in March and on track to at least 50% of pre-COVID levels by this year. 
SIA also reported significant increase in passenger demand in its March operating results. The Group carried 893k passengers in March, a 792.1% YoY increase. Its group passenger capacity reached 51% of pre-COVID levels, and expects passenger capacity to reach 61% of pre-COVID levels by May 2022. 
We observed outperformance in the year-to-date for a number of reopening proxies including SATS, SIA, ComfortDelGro, Genting Singapore and SIA Engineering. These five stocks average total returns of 10.6%, outperforming STI’s +7.1% total returns YTD (as of 6 May ’22). On a funds flow perspective, these stocks saw a combined net institutional inflows of S$84.8 million in the YTD. 
The easing of measures also had an impact on the F&amp;B industry in Singapore. The top five actively traded SGX F&amp;B stocks with Singapore exposure are: Jumbo, Japan Foods, Pavillion, RE&amp;S and Kimly. Investors’ focus would be on Singapore’s F&amp;B service sales data for April. 
In the REITs Sector, SGX lists four stapled trusts and one REIT with significant exposure to Singapore hotels who may potentially benefit from reopening borders  - Ascott, CDL HT, Far East HT, Frasers HT, and OUE CREIT. These five trusts generated average total returns of 16.9% YTD (as of 6 May ’22). S-REITs with exposure to Singapore office assets as employees head back to office - Keppel REIT, CICT, Suntec REIT, MCT, and OUE CREIT.</body></html>

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 <img src='https://api2.sgx.com/sites/default/files/2022-05/Capture%201_0.PNG' alt='Mar 22 Changi Airport' />
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 <div class='content-caption'>Mar 22 Changi Airport</div>
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Q: Rate hikes to combat inflation continues to be a focus on investors globally. How is this impacting the markets? Which are the sectors which may see direct impact? 
The 16 March FOMC rate hike was in-line with market’s expectations. At the recent May FOMC, the Fed raised rates by 50bps, with a 75bps hike at the next meeting ruled out for now. Quantitative tightening will begin, with the Fed allowing up to US$47.5 billion/month in combined US treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to run off the balance sheet, increasing to US$95 billion after 3 months 
Rates sensitive sectors such as Financials and REITs typically come into investors’ minds during rate hike/cut cycles.

<ul>
<li>Notably, Singapore Banks – DBS (D05), OCBC (O39), and UOB (U11) has seen an average 7.2% gains since the start of heightened volatility in the markets (8 March), outperforming global banks and the STI. In the same period, the FTSE ST All-Share Index also saw total returns of +5.7%. 
	 </li>
	<li>REITs depend on borrowings/debt to help finance their asset purchases. Higher rates may impact their borrowing costs and dividend distributions. As a reminder, most of the S-REITs have gearing ratios (i.e. total debt/percentage of total assets) of c. 37%, below the regulatory limit of 50%. Further, S-REITs have, on average, also pegged more than 70% of their debt at fixed rates. Notably in this current rate hike environment, the sector (FTSE ST REIT Index) saw total returns of +6.4% from the year-low seen in late January.</li>
</ul>
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 <img src='https://api2.sgx.com/sites/default/files/2022-05/Capture%202.PNG' alt='SREIT historical ' />
 </figure>
 <div class='content-caption'>SREIT historical </div>


#whatstrending  Ever wondered what is currently driving the local and regional markets? This new report series address some of the most trending questions/topics on the markets for investors. Designed to be educational, expect to get factual information on what is driving sectors and stocks listed on SGX  Q: Singapore has announced further easing of border restrictions and stepped down DORSCON level from orange to yellow. How has this impacted the local equities market?  
Following the reopening of Singapore’s borders to all fully vaccinated travellers from 1 April 2022, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) reported that air passenger traffic in Singapore reached 400,000 or 31% of pre-COVID levels in the week ending 17 April 2022, up from 18% a month ago. Transport Minister S Iswaran on 4 May stated Changi Airport passenger volumes has more than doubled to reach close to 40% of pre-COVID levels in end-April, up from 18% in March and on track to at least 50% of pre-COVID levels by this year.  
SIA also reported significant increase in passenger demand in its March operating results. The Group carried 893k passengers in March, a 792.1% YoY increase. Its group passenger capacity reached 51% of pre-COVID levels, and expects passenger capacity to reach 61% of pre-COVID levels by May 2022.  
We observed outperformance in the year-to-date for a number of reopening proxies including SATS, SIA, ComfortDelGro, Genting Singapore and SIA Engineering. These five stocks average total returns of 10.6%, outperforming STI’s +7.1% total returns YTD (as of 6 May ’22). On a funds flow perspective, these stocks saw a combined net institutional inflows of S$84.8 million in the YTD.  
The easing of measures also had an impact on the F&amp;B industry in Singapore. The top five actively traded SGX F&amp;B stocks with Singapore exposure are: Jumbo, Japan Foods, Pavillion, RE&amp;S and Kimly. Investors’ focus would be on Singapore’s F&amp;B service sales data for April.  
In the REITs Sector, SGX lists four stapled trusts and one REIT with significant exposure to Singapore hotels who may potentially benefit from reopening borders  - Ascott, CDL HT, Far East HT, Frasers HT, and OUE CREIT. These five trusts generated average total returns of 16.9% YTD (as of 6 May ’22). S-REITs with exposure to Singapore office assets as employees head back to office - Keppel REIT, CICT, Suntec REIT, MCT, and OUE CREIT.


      
    
    Mar 22 Changi Airport


Q: Rate hikes to combat inflation continues to be a focus on investors globally. How is this impacting the markets? Which are the sectors which may see direct impact?  
The 16 March FOMC rate hike was in-line with market’s expectations. At the recent May FOMC, the Fed raised rates by 50bps, with a 75bps hike at the next meeting ruled out for now. Quantitative tightening will begin, with the Fed allowing up to US$47.5 billion/month in combined US treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to run off the balance sheet, increasing to US$95 billion after 3 months  
Rates sensitive sectors such as Financials and REITs typically come into investors’ minds during rate hike/cut cycles.


Notably, Singapore Banks – DBS (D05), OCBC (O39), and UOB (U11) has seen an average 7.2% gains since the start of heightened volatility in the markets (8 March), outperforming global banks and the STI. In the same period, the FTSE ST All-Share Index also saw total returns of +5.7%. 
	 
	REITs depend on borrowings/debt to help finance their asset purchases. Higher rates may impact their borrowing costs and dividend distributions. As a reminder, most of the S-REITs have gearing ratios (i.e. total debt/percentage of total assets) of c. 37%, below the regulatory limit of 50%. Further, S-REITs have, on average, also pegged more than 70% of their debt at fixed rates. Notably in this current rate hike environment, the sector (FTSE ST REIT Index) saw total returns of +6.4% from the year-low seen in late January.




      
    
    SREIT historical 

Navigating global reopening and rate hikes

Singapore

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited offers a comprehensive range of financial services.  The Company's services include deposit-taking, corporate, enterprise and personal lending, international trade financing, investment banking, private banking, treasury, stockbroking, insurance, credit cards, cash management, asset management and other financial and related services.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

OCBC (OCBC SP)

Singapore Banks - Limited Geopolitical Risk

There appears to be less geopolitical risk with Singapore's banks than some other large global banks. Singapore's banks can better benefit from...

Daniel Tabbush

ThaiBev BeerCo Pre-IPO - Back for Another Round

Thai Beverage plans to resume BeerCo's proposed spin-off listing. This time the company is aiming to raise less than US$1bn, as per media reports.

Sumeet Singh

Ngern Tid Lor IPO Lock-Up - A US$660m Overhang. Selldown Is a Question of When, Not If.

Ngern Tid Lor (NTL), a financial service provider based in Thailand, raised around US$1bn in its Thailand IPO in May 2021. The lock-up on its two...

Sumeet Singh

Wilmar leads buyback tally; YZJFH directors acquire shares

For the 5 trading sessions spanning Apr 29 to May 5, the Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.3 per cent, with the FTSE China A50...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Navigating global reopening and rate hikes

#whatstrendingEver wondered what is currently driving the local and regional markets? This new report series address some of the most trending...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

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