- Singapore equities rose 8.9% in July, registering another record high. Gains were supported by a stellar 13% rally in the banking sector. Banks' earnings are expected to bottom as loan and deposit growth drive up net interest income. Laggards were technology and defence. REITs reported modest gains of 3%.
- Banks are beginning to be expensive at 2x price to book and 4% yield. We find better opportunities in other large Singapore caps, namely Keppel Ltd, ST Engineering, SembCorp Industries, and Singtel. We believe these large caps have a much better growth and return profile than banks. Some of the key growth drivers include new power and data centre capacity, defence equipment exports, accretive acquisitions and asset monetisation.
- Singapore equities are beginning to look pricey at 17x forward PE. This is compared with a historical average of 15x. Earnings growth is expected to be only 4%. There is merit to the safe-haven premium due to uncertainty in M East and other parts of North Asia. But these are transient, no different than portfolio pit stops.
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