Industry News

iFAST Financial Singapore has announced a significant expansion of its Discretionary Portfolio Management Solutions (DPMS) by collaborating with global asset managers BlackRock and JPMorgan Asset Management. This strategic partnership aims to provide wealth advisers with enhanced investment solutions, allowing them to offer clients professionally managed portfolios that improve efficiency and choice.

The collaboration with BlackRock and JPMorgan, two of the world’s largest fund managers, underscores iFAST’s commitment to broadening access to high-quality investment options. Vincent Tong, CEO of iFAST Financial Singapore, stated, “By partnering with two of the world’s largest fund managers, our objective is to make discretionary investment solutions accessible to advisers and the wider public.”

JPMorgan’s discretionary portfolio leverages its active Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), offering investors active management at a lower cost. Yuejue Jin, Co-Head of Multi-Asset Solutions Asia at JPMorgan, highlighted the growing demand for actively managed ETFs, noting, “Our goal is to deliver the strength of our active ETF platform and asset allocation investment capabilities to investors in Singapore.”

BlackRock’s DPMS portfolios integrate active funds and passive ETFs, incorporating liquid alternatives to diversify portfolios during market volatility. Dennis Quah, Managing Director and Head of Singapore Wealth at BlackRock, emphasised the importance of a blended approach, stating, “Through a thoughtful blend of asset classes, we seek to help investors navigate market volatility and pursue their long-term goals.”

The introduction of these portfolios aims to reduce the administrative burden on wealth advisers, allowing them to focus on portfolio construction and financial planning. This move is part of iFAST’s ongoing efforts to empower advisers and enhance client experiences, aligning with its mission to provide global and profitable investment opportunities.

Singapore’s Housing Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) have announced a two-year extension of the temporary relaxation of the occupancy cap for larger HDB flats and private residential properties. This decision is expected to benefit both tenants and landlords by allowing more individuals to share a unit, thereby reducing rental costs and optimising space usage.

The extension is particularly advantageous for Singaporean families, including those upgrading from HDB flats to private condominiums, who require temporary rental housing to avoid incurring Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty. Larger families can also benefit by staying under one roof, which supports multigenerational living and helps manage rental costs more effectively. “This measure encourages families to stay together and better support elderly family members,” said Christine Sun, Chief Researcher & Strategist of Realion (OrangeTee & ETC) Group.

Landlords stand to gain higher rental returns by leasing to more tenants, a timely benefit given the minimal growth in rental rates over the past year. The increased rental income can help offset rising maintenance costs, management fees, and property taxes.

The policy also aims to retain essential foreign workers by reducing living costs, thereby supporting sectors such as manufacturing, nursing, service, and retail. Furthermore, increasing occupancy per unit could help stabilise the rental market by balancing supply and demand pressures.

However, challenges such as increased noise levels and shared use of common facilities may arise from more people living within the same unit. Despite these potential issues, the extension is seen as a strategic move to optimise living spaces and support the rental market.

In anticipation of increased travel demand during the Lunar New Year (LNY) period, six airlines at Changi Airport will introduce over 600 supplementary flights to 15 Chinese cities, more than doubling the number of additional flights compared to 2025. From 1 February to 8 March 2026, travellers can enjoy expanded options to destinations including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, as well as new routes to Nanchang, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou.

The additional flights are provided by Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Loong Air, Spring Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines, offering a diverse range of destinations and price points. Notably, Air China, China Eastern, and Xiamen Airlines will each operate over 140 additional flights. This expansion strengthens Singapore’s position as a key gateway to China, with the country being a top holiday destination for Singaporean travellers.

Changi Airport will also enhance its late-night services to improve the travel experience. These include extended early check-in at Terminals 1 and 3, 24-hour operations at the Changi Lounge, and longer operating hours for the Jewel Rain Vortex until midnight. Lim Ching Kiat, Executive Vice President for Air Hub and Cargo Development at Changi Airport Group, stated, “The doubling of flight capacity between China and Singapore this Lunar New Year reflects the strong travel demand we continue to see between China and Singapore, as well as the close partnerships we have built with our airline partners.”

As Singapore is currently linked to 37 cities in China, these additional flights will provide more travel options for holidaymakers from both countries, further enhancing connectivity and convenience during the festive season.

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.