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The Straits Times Index has kept steady in the third quarter of 2025 – particularly with new measures by the Government to revive the stock market.
SINGAPORE - The Straits Times Index (STI) has kept steady in the third quarter of 2025 – particularly with new measures by the Government to revive the stock market.
The benchmark index has jumped about 14 per cent so far in 2025, with analysts still positive on its outlook.
A range of companies within the STI continued to see higher-than-average returns. These include property developer City Developments, technology solutions provider Venture Corporation to telco giant Singtel.
For Q3, these STI constituents took the top 10 spots in terms of total returns:
1. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding
The company recorded the highest total returns for the third quarter among STI counters – at 47.7 per cent, according to Bloomberg data.
Founded in 1956, it has a market capitalisation of about $13.3 billion. Its shipbuilding and marine engineering manufacturing arms are its main business, while its shipping leasing, trade logistics and real estate segments are its supplement.
The group posted record earnings of 4.2 billion yuan (S$760 million) for the first half ended June – a 36.7 per cent rise from 3.1 billion yuan for the same period a year prior. It also recorded a 1.3 per cent year-on-year fall in revenue for the first half of financial year 2025, to 12.9 billion yuan.
Dividend yield of the company stands at 3.7 per cent.
On Sept 27, the company said that three of its subsidiaries had cancelled contracts valued at about US$180 million (S$232 million) with an unnamed party. This was due to allegations that the buyer’s sole shareholder was involved in a scheme to circumvent US sanctions laws and regulations.
2. City Developments Limited (CDL)
CDL is next in line, with its total returns for the third quarter at 33.5 per cent. Its market capitalisation stands at $6.3 billion, with a dividend yield of 1.2 per cent.
The property developer’s net profit increased by 3.9 per cent on the year to $91.2 million for the first half ended June 30, on the back of stronger contributions from its property development segment. Earnings per share rose to $0.097, from $0.092 a year prior.
The group hit the news in the earlier part of 2025 due to the “father-versus-son” court battle. The saga saw CDL executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng sack his son and group chief executive Sherman Kwek due to an attempted “coup” with a group of directors. The older Mr Kwek later dropped a lawsuit against his son and majority directors of CDL.
3. DFI Retail Group
The pan-Asian retailer recorded 33.3 per cent of total returns for the third quarter . It has a market capitalisation of about $5.5 billion and offers a dividend yield of 3.3 per cent.
The company’s underlying profit rose 38.9 per cent to US$105 million for the first half ended June 30, from US$75.6 million in the same period a year prior. It attributed its profit growth to lower financing costs and an improved showing in its associates, as well as its health and beauty, and food segments.
The supermarket and retail store operator has seen various divestments in 2025, such as the sale of its 22.2 per cent stake in Robinsons Retail for an undisclosed sum on May 30.
DFI Retail Group was previously the fourth top-performing STI counter for the first half of 2025, with 31.7 per cent total returns for the period.
4. Jardine Matheson Holdings (JMH)
The Hong Kong-based conglomerate has risen to fourth place among STI companies with a total return rate of 31 per cent for the third quarter , from its sixth position in the first half. The group has a market capitalisation of US$18.3 billion, and a dividend yield of 3.57 per cent.
The group on July 31 reported a 45 per cent rise in underlying profit for the first half of FY2025 to US$798 million from US$550 million in the same period a year before.
This growth was driven by most of JMH’s companies, but also partially offset by Astra International’s lower contribution.
5. UOL
The real estate firm retains its fifth position among the top performing STI companies from the first half of 2025, with a 28.6 per cent total returns rate for the third quarter . Its market capitalisation is at $6.6 billion, with a dividend yield of 2.3 per cent.
On Aug 13, UOL posted a 58 per cent jump in net profit to $205.5 million for the first half of 2025, after strong performances from property development and property investments. The company benefited from other gains from the disposal of Parkroyal Yangon as well.
On Sept 10, UOL inked a deal to divest Kinex, a retail mall in Tanjong Katong, for $375 million.
6. Venture Corporation
The technology solutions provider had the sixth-highest total returns rate of 23.1 per cent for the third quarter among STI counters. Its market capitalisation stands at nearly $4.1 billion, and offers a dividend yield of 5.4 per cent.
For its second quarter ended June, it saw a 2.3 per increase in net profit to $57.1 million, from $55.9 million in first quarter.
The group, however, saw an 8.6 per cent drop in net profit for the first half of 2025 to around $113 million, from $123.7 million the year prior.
Revenue rose 4.7 per cent to $645.3 million in the second quarter, from $616.6 million in the first quarter, on the back of growth across most of its technology domains.
7. Keppel
The asset manager inched up three places from the first half, with a total returns rate of 20.8 per cent for the third quarter. Its market capitalisation is at $16.2 billion, with a dividend yield of 3.9 per cent.
On Aug 11, Keppel proposed to divest the telco business of M1 to mobile network operator Simba Telecom for an enterprise value of $1.43 billion, in an all-cash deal.
Its net profit increased by 24.2 per cent on the year to $377.7 million for the first half ended June 30, due to growth in its real estate segment.
8. Seatrium
The company had a total returns rate of 17.2 per cent in the third quarter. The group has a market capitalisation of about $ 8.3 billion.
The shipbuilding and repairing group has been embroiled in a long-running case related to Brazil’s corruption crackdown, Operation Car Wash.
It announced in July it would have to pay 728.9 million reals (S$176 million) to the Brazilian authorities, as part of leniency agreements related to the probe. Subsequently, arbitration proceedings against Seatrium for $68.4 million by Keppel began on Aug 26.
Its first- half net profit surged to $144.4 million, up 301.3 per cent from $36 million in the same period the year prior. No dividend was proposed for the period.
9. Singtel
The national telecommunications player recorded total returns of 13.8 per cent for the third quarter. Its market capitalisation is at about $68.4 billion, and a dividend yield of 4.1 per cent.
On Sept 19, Singtel’s Australian subsidiary Optus announced that it was investigating a series of emergency call failures after carrying out a network upgrade during that period.
This had led to three deaths, after the number dialed in the event of life-threatening situations or emergencies was blocked with the network outage.
The Australian government has warned that Optus can expect significant fines for the outage, which could also inflict long-term damage to its reputation.
10. DBS Group
Singapore’s biggest bank has a total returns rate of 13.8 per cent for the third quarter.
Its market capitalisation is $146.5 billion, with dividend yield at 5.2 per cent.
The counter reached a new all-time high earlier on Sept 10 of $52.87, when the STI hit 4,355.84.
Net profit for the second quarter rose 1 per cent year on year to $2.82 billion, beating the $2.79 billion consensus forecast in a Bloomberg analyst poll.
[SRC] https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/the-10-best-performing-stocks-in-singapores-sti-in-the-third-quarter
