Market Snapshot

Singapore stocks edged higher on Tuesday. STI up 0.1%; ST Engineering and FCT up 1%; KIT down 1%.

Stocks to Watch

Frasers Centrepoint Trust (FCT): The trust’s manager on Monday said that its preferential offering was 24.8 per cent oversubscribed. The manager received applications for 122,584,803 preferential offering units, against the 98,185,673 units offered. The offering was launched earlier this month at S$2.05 per unit. The issue price represented a 7.4 per cent discount to the volume-weighted average price of S$2.2136. The offering was made on the basis of 54 units for every 1,000 existing units held as at 5pm on Apr 3, to raise gross proceeds of about S$201.3 million. Units of FCT traded flat on Monday at S$2.21.

Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust (PLife Reit): The healthcare real estate investment trust’s manager on Tuesday posted a higher first quarter distribution per unit of S$0.0384, up 1.3 per cent from S$0.0379 in the previous corresponding period. Gross revenue for the quarter climbed 7.3 per cent to around S$39 million from S$36.3 million previously. Higher gross revenue arose primarily from the contributions of a nursing home acquired in Japan and 11 nursing homes acquired in France in H2 FY2024, though this was partly offset by the depreciation of the Japanese yen. Units of PLife Reit closed 0.5 per cent or S$0.02 higher at S$4.20 on Monday.

PLife Reit’s manager also announced on Monday that the healthcare Reit is selling freehold strata units and lots of a Malaysian property for RM20.1 million (S$6.1 million). The deal will mark the Reit’s exit from Malaysia, where the properties were its sole investment in the market and contributed to only 0.2 per cent of the trust’s asset value, the manager said. The strata units and lots are located in MOB Specialist Clinics, within the compound of Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The hospital is owned and operated by integrated healthcare provider IHH Healthcare : Q0F +1.49%, a substantial unitholder of PLife Reit.

Units of PLife Reit closed 0.5 per cent or S$0.02 higher at S$4.20 on Monday. Shares of IHH Healthcare closed 1.5 per cent or S$0.03 higher at S$2.04.

Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT): The trustee-manager on Tuesday reported an increase in distributable income of 27.7 per cent to S$65 million, from S$50.9 million in the previous corresponding period. This is in light of contributions from new acquisitions and capital recycling exercises, notably the proposed investment in subsea cable solutions provider Global Marine Group for about US$90.6 million which is set to establish KIT’s presence in digital infrastructure. Units of KIT closed flat on Monday at S$0.415.

ESR Reit: The manager on Tuesday posted higher distributable income at S$44.2 million, up 7 per cent from S$41.3 million in the previous corresponding period. This was attributed to the acquisitions of ESR Yatomi Kisosaki Distribution Centre in Japan’s Mie prefecture, and 20 Tuas South Avenue 14 in Singapore in November 2024. Net property income grew 31.3 per cent to S$82.5 million from S$62.9 million and gross revenue climbed 24.2 per cent to S$110.5 million from S$89 million. Units of ESR Reit closed Monday 2.4 per cent or S$0.005 higher at S$0.21.

Nanofilm Technologies: The group said a strong performance by its consumer business segments helped to push its revenue up 12 per cent year on year to S$44 million in the first quarter ended Mar 31. While the group’s gross profit margin exceeded 27 per cent, it was down from 33 per cent in Q1 of 2024. The dip was the result of lower contributions from Nanofilm’s industrial equipment unit due to the timing of equipment deliveries, the nanotechnology solutions provider said on Monday. Nanofilm’s shares closed flat on Monday at S$0.505 before the announcement.

Paragon Reit : called for a trading halt on Tuesday morning, pending the release of announcements relating to the extraordinary general meeting and scheme meeting to be held on Tuesday at 2.30 and 3.00pm respectively. The counter closed Monday 0.5 per cent or S$0.005 lower at S$0.97.

SG Local News

Puan Noor Aishah, wife of Singapore’s first President Yusof Ishak, dies at 91

Puan Noor Aishah, Singapore’s former First Lady and the widow of the country’s first President Yusof Ishak, died on Apr 22.

She was 91.

Her death was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in a Facebook post on Apr 22, who said he was deeply saddened to learn of her passing.

Asean remains attractive amid global trade, supply chain disruptions: UOB CEO Wee Ee Cheong

The Asean region remains an attractive market in which to do business, even amid uncertainties due to geopolitical risks and the impact of the US tariffs, said UOB chief executive Wee Ee Cheong.

Wee, who is also UOB’s deputy chairman, expects disruption and slower demand in the immediate future as a result of divides in global trade and supply chains.