Industry News

A recent study by Russell Reynolds Associates reveals that 74% of Singaporean business leaders now consider geopolitical uncertainty their top concern, overtaking economic growth and trade conflicts for the first time. This shift, highlighted in the H2 2025 Global Leadership Monitor, marks a significant change from H2 2024, when geopolitical issues ranked fourth.

The study indicates that Singapore’s business leaders are increasingly worried about the impact of geopolitical volatility on supply chains, investments, and strategic planning. Euan Kenworthy, Country Lead for Singapore at Russell Reynolds Associates, noted, “Geopolitical volatility is now a core business risk for Singapore companies, disrupting supply chains, investments, and strategy planning.”

Despite the excitement surrounding the revenue-generating potential of Generative AI (Gen AI), with 68% of leaders expressing enthusiasm, only 22% have integrated AI into their daily operations. A significant 40% cite a lack of internal expertise as a major barrier to adoption.

Strategic thinking has emerged as the most valued leadership skill among Singaporean leaders, with 63% ranking it above innovation and decision-making. This emphasis on strategic foresight reflects the complex geopolitical and economic challenges facing the region.

Moreover, Singaporean leaders demonstrate strong industry loyalty, with 83% open to new roles within their sector, yet only 28% willing to switch industries. This loyalty persists even as 67% consider leaving their current employers, indicating a cautious approach to career mobility amidst ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (CLAR) has announced the acquisition of a Class A logistics property in Columbus, Ohio, from DHL for S$94.5m (US$73.8m). This strategic move, set to complete in the first quarter of 2026, involves a sale and leaseback agreement with DHL, which will continue to occupy the property under a long-term lease.

The acquisition is part of CLAR’s strategy to expand its presence in key logistics markets in the US. William Tay, CEO and Executive Director of the Manager, highlighted the importance of this acquisition, stating, “The accretive acquisition underscores our strategy of selectively investing in logistics growth markets in the US with excellent connectivity and deep occupier demand.”

DHL Canal Winchester, the acquired property, is strategically located with excellent connectivity to air, rail, and road networks, making it an ideal regional logistics hub. It is situated along Highway 33, close to Downtown Columbus and Rickenbacker International Airport, a major cargo hub. The property features a modern logistics building with a gross floor area of 755,160 square feet and is fully occupied by DHL.

This acquisition will increase CLAR’s logistics assets under management in the US by 17.4%, expanding its footprint to 21 properties across five cities. The transaction is expected to be distribution per unit (DPU) accretive, with a first-year net property income yield of approximately 7.4% pre-transaction costs.

The purchase consideration was negotiated at a 3.3% discount to the property’s independent market valuation, and the acquisition will be financed through internal resources, divestment proceeds, and existing debt facilities.

United Overseas Bank (UOB) has successfully priced a S$850m Perpetual Non-Call 7-year Additional Tier 1 bond, offering a 3% coupon. This marks the first Singapore dollar Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bond from a Singapore bank since January 2024. The issuance attracted significant interest from 96 local and offshore fixed income accounts, with the order book oversubscribed by more than 2.4 times, reaching over S$2 billion.

The bond issuance, on par with UOB’s previous AT1 issuance in January 2023, is the joint-largest from a Singapore bank post-COVID-19. Institutional investors accounted for 50% of the demand, the highest for a Singapore dollar AT1 since 2020, whilst offshore institutional investors contributed 26% of the orders. The bond’s 3% coupon translates to a reset spread of +94 basis points over the 7-year Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA), noted as the tightest reset spread in recent SGD bond market history.

Koh Chin Chin, Head of Group Treasury at UOB, commented, “We are proud to return to the SGD bond market with our S$850m AT1 issuance at 3.00%. The strong demand highlights investors’ confidence in UOB, with our notable offshore institutional participation capturing the growing appetite for SGD instruments.”

The bonds are expected to be rated Baa1 by Moody’s and BBB+ by Fitch. The issuance is part of UOB’s US$30b Global Medium Term Note Programme, The Perpetual Capital Securities is anticipated to be listed on the Singapore Exchange on 21 January 2026.

Olam Agri, a prominent global agribusiness, has been recognised as a Top Employer 2026 by the Top Employers Institute in ten countries, including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Australia, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. This accolade also marks the sixth consecutive year that Africa has been certified as a Top Employer, highlighting the company’s consistent and impactful people practices across its markets.

The Top Employers Institute, a global authority in HR certification, evaluates organisations through its HR Best Practices Survey, which covers domains such as People Strategy, Work Environment, and Diversity & Inclusion. Adrian Seligman, CEO of Top Employers Institute, stated, “Achieving a Top Employer Certification for 2026 reflects Olam Agri’s dedication to building an outstanding workplace that enables sustained business performance.”

Sriram Subramanian, Group Head of Human Resources at Olam Agri, emphasised the company’s commitment to fostering a high-engagement, high-performance environment. He noted, “We remain focused on building a high-engagement, high-performance environment. By actively investing in leadership development, domain expertise, employee wellbeing, and inclusion, we ensure our teams are equipped to deliver superior outcomes for our customers, partners, and the planet.”

Olam Agri’s employee value proposition centres on three key areas: fostering a culture of excellence, making a difference through sustainability, and providing opportunities for employees to flourish. This recognition underscores Olam Agri’s dedication to creating a workplace that values performance, inclusion, and long-term impact.

Singapore’s external trade continued its upward trajectory in December 2025, albeit at a slower pace, according to Enterprise Singapore. Non-oil domestic exports (NODX) increased by 6.1%, a moderation from November’s 11.5% growth. This rise was primarily fuelled by non-monetary gold and electronic products, including integrated circuits and disk media products.

The non-oil re-exports (NORX) sector also saw a significant expansion, growing by 15% in December, slightly up from the 14.5% increase in November. The electronics segment was the main contributor, with telecommunications equipment and parts of PCs showing notable growth.

Total trade for the month expanded by 12.3%, following an 8.7% increase in November. Both exports and imports contributed to this growth, with non-oil exports rising by 12.3% and total imports increasing by 14.2%.

NODX to key markets such as China, Taiwan, and Malaysia showed positive growth, with China seeing a 17.9% increase due to specialised machinery and metal removing machine-tools. However, exports to the US, Japan, and Hong Kong experienced declines.

The data highlights the resilience of Singapore’s trade sector amidst global economic uncertainties, with non-monetary gold acting as a safe-haven asset. Looking ahead, the trade landscape may face challenges, but the robust performance in electronics and strategic markets offers a positive outlook.

Info-Tech Systems Ltd., a prominent provider of cloud-based human resource management systems (HRMS) and accounting software, has announced the launch of its new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software programme. Set to officially roll out on 2 February 2026, this initiative is designed to bolster Info-Tech’s existing platforms, offering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a unified ecosystem for customer engagement, sales, accounting, and workforce management.

The CRM software introduces several features tailored to SMEs, including an end-to-end sales workflow, integrated digital advertising and communications, and built-in payments for faster cash collection. Notably, it offers a unique integration with Info-Tech’s HRMS, enhancing pipeline visibility and manpower planning by syncing staff availability. The mobile-first, AI-enabled platform also supports field sales with features like facial recognition and GPS attendance.

Babu Dilip, CEO and Co-founder of Info-Tech, highlighted the programme’s potential to address common SME challenges such as lead follow-up inefficiencies and fragmented sales processes. “This marks a key milestone in our product expansion strategy and reflects our ongoing investment in innovation,” he stated.

Info-Tech’s expansion into CRM solutions underscores its commitment to providing SMEs with productivity-boosting digital tools. By integrating customer data with HR and accounting functions, the company aims to streamline operations and enhance competitiveness for its clients. Headquartered in Singapore, Info-Tech operates in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India, serving over 23,000 organisations globally.

Coliwoo Holdings, a leading player in Singapore’s co-living sector, has received strong endorsements from three major analyst reports, highlighting its growth potential and market leadership. Maybank, CGS International, and RHB have all initiated coverage on Coliwoo, each offering positive outlooks on the company’s strategic direction and financial prospects.

Maybank has issued a BUY recommendation with a 12-month target price of S$0.74, praising Coliwoo’s robust branding and strategic site selection. The company currently operates approximately 2,933 rooms across 25 locations, maintaining a 96.1% occupancy rate in FY25. Maybank also notes Coliwoo’s plans to expand to nearly 4,000 rooms by the end of 2026, emphasising its asset-light strategy and capital recycling efforts.

CGS International has given an Add rating with the same target price, citing Coliwoo’s strong earnings visibility and efficient growth model. The report forecasts a 24% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in core profit after tax and minority interest (PATMI) through FY28, driven by new keys and high occupancy levels. CGSI highlights Coliwoo’s valuation discount compared to global peers as a potential catalyst for re-rating.

RHB, offering the highest target price of S$0.82, labels Coliwoo as the “Co-Living King” with a 20% market share. The report predicts a 30% net profit CAGR from FY25 to FY28, supported by organic growth and strategic acquisitions. RHB underscores the structural demand from expatriates, international students, and hybrid work trends, positioning co-living as a resilient segment in Singapore’s rental market.

These endorsements underscore Coliwoo’s strategic positioning and potential for sustained growth in the expanding co-living sector.

Retail investors in Singapore recorded a significant S$2.6b net inflow into the stock market in 2025, with a substantial focus on banking stocks, according to a recent update from SGX Research. The largest beneficiaries of this influx were DBS Group Holdings, United Overseas Bank (UOB), and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), which collectively attracted S$3.88b in net retail inflows.

In the first half of 2025, retail investors contributed S$2.2b to Singapore stocks, followed by an additional S$413m in the latter half. DBS emerged as the top recipient, particularly in the two weeks following Tariff Liberation Day in April, when nearly half of the year’s net inflow was concentrated. This period saw a surge in retail buying, with DBS alone receiving S$1.387b in net inflows during the first half of the year.

Excluding the STI banks, the rest of the Singapore stock market experienced S$1.26b in net retail outflows over the year. This trend was driven by the banks’ attractive dividend yields amidst falling local interest rates, which maintained steady inflows throughout the year.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also saw significant activity, with STI, REIT, and APAC financial-focused ETFs accounting for six of the top 10 net purchased ETFs by retail investors. The Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF and Amova-STC Asia Ex Japan REIT ETF led the pack, reflecting a buy-and-hold strategy in a lower interest rate environment.

The data highlights the retail sector’s growing influence in the Singapore stock market, with implications for continued investment trends in 2026.

Strategic Marine has successfully delivered its second 27-metre Z-Bow Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) to a customer in Taiwan, marking the completion of a two-vessel programme aimed at supporting offshore wind operations in the region. Developed in collaboration with BMT Limited, the vessel is equipped with advanced features such as controllable pitch propellers, bow thrusters, and an Active Fender System, ensuring reliable performance in challenging conditions.

The delivery signifies Strategic Marine’s capability in executing multi-vessel construction programmes and meeting specific regional requirements. This second vessel handover also completes a four-CTV building programme initiated in Q2 2024 with the same customer.

Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Marine, Chan Eng Yew, stated, “The successful delivery of the second 27m Z-Bow CTV to Taiwan marks another step forward in our collaboration with the customer. These vessels highlight our focus on building dependable, high-performance solutions that support the continued expansion of offshore wind energy.”

Strategic Marine, a Singapore-based shipyard, continues to collaborate with operators and partners globally to deliver innovative aluminium vessels tailored to the evolving needs of the offshore wind sector. This latest delivery underscores the company’s commitment to providing high-quality, specialised vessels for both civilian and defence applications. As the offshore wind industry expands, Strategic Marine’s role in supplying advanced vessels is expected to grow, further supporting the sector’s development.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group has announced a significant rise in passenger traffic for December 2025, with a 1.9% increase compared to the previous year. This growth, coupled with a 2.6% rise in passenger capacity, resulted in a passenger load factor of 87.9% for the group. SIA and its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, achieved monthly passenger load factors of 87.6% and 89.1%, respectively.

The group carried a combined total of 3.8 million passengers in December, marking a 4.8% year-on-year increase and setting a new monthly record. This surge was driven by the peak travel demand during the year-end period. For the entire year of 2025, SIA Group transported 41.6 million passengers, surpassing the previous record of 39 million set in 2024.

In the cargo sector, SIA Group experienced a 7.4% year-on-year increase in cargo carriage, supported by heightened freighter activity and traditional year-end demand. Cargo loads rose by 4.5%, outpacing the 1.6% growth in cargo capacity, leading to a cargo load factor of 55.2%, up by 1.6 percentage points.

Scoot expanded its network in December by launching passenger services to Labuan Bajo and Semarang in Indonesia, and Okinawa in Japan. By the end of December 2025, the group’s passenger network spanned 134 destinations across 37 countries and territories, with SIA and Scoot each serving 79 destinations. The cargo network covered 138 destinations in 38 countries and territories.