The Heavyweights of Singapore’s Stock Market: Blue Chips Explained

Core Insights - The Straits Times Index (STI) serves as the main benchmark for Singapore's stock market, tracking the top 30 listed companies known as blue chips, which are recognized for their strong reputations and financial stability [1] Sector Allocation - The STI is heavily weighted towards the financial sector, with the three largest banks—DBS Group Holdings, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, and United Overseas Bank—accounting for nearly 50% of the index [2] - Real estate contributes around 16% to the STI, with key constituents including CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and CapitaLand Ascendas REIT [3] - Industrials represent almost 10% of the index, with Jardine Matheson Holdings holding the largest weightage at 3.8% [3] - The technology sector is the smallest in the index, with a weightage of just 0.89% [4] Investment Opportunities - Investing in the STI is facilitated by exchange-traded funds (ETFs), notably the SPDR STI ETF, which closely mirrors the index's performance with a tracking error of approximately 0.23% [5] - The SPDR STI ETF offers a dividend yield of 4.1% and has a 10-year annualized return of 7.76% [6] - The fund maintains a low expense ratio of 0.28%, allowing more invested funds to remain in the market [7] Fund Characteristics - The SPDR STI ETF has over S$2 billion in assets under management, providing high liquidity for investors [7] - Monthly factsheets are available for retail investors, offering transparency regarding fund holdings [8] Economic Role - The 30 blue chips in the STI are considered the backbone of Singapore's economy, providing a reliable foundation for investment [10]