The Singapore Exchange Group (SGX) has announced that its equities business, SGX Securities, will be renamed the SGX Stock Exchange, marking the 60th anniversary of the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI).
The change was unveiled on January 5 by SGX chief executive Loh Boon Chye during celebrations held at the SGX Centre’s IPO Arena. Loh said the move reinforces the equities market’s position as the core pillar of SGX Group’s multi-asset ambitions and underscores Singapore’s role as a leading international financial centre.
SGX, he said, remains committed to supporting companies at every stage of growth while broadening access and opportunities for investors.
Singapore’s equity market momentum has strengthened over the past year, according to Chee Hong Tat, Minister for National Development and deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). He noted that average daily traded value of securities on SGX rose nearly 20% year-on-year to about S$1.8 billion in November 2025, before the usual year-end slowdown. For the full year, trading activity reached its highest level since 2010, while the total market capitalisation of listed companies surpassed S$1 trillion.
Chee said the STI delivered total returns of more than 28% in 2025, and over a five-year period recorded gains exceeding 100% in Singapore-dollar terms, outperforming several regional markets.
Loh added that the STI’s long-term performance now stands alongside major global benchmarks such as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, supported by earnings growth and more active capital management by listed companies.
The rally extended beyond blue-chip stocks. Turnover in small- and mid-capitalisation stocks rose more than 40% year-on-year, while the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index posted total returns of over 25% in 2025.
The rebranding comes amid broader efforts to revitalise Singapore’s stock market. A MAS-led review group released its final recommendations in November, including a S$5 billion Equities Market Development Programme (EQDP) to channel capital into local equities. To date, S$3.95 billion has been allocated to nine asset managers.
Other initiatives include a proposed dual-listing bridge between SGX and Nasdaq, as well as a “Value Unlock” programme aimed at strengthening investor relations, corporate strategy and capital optimisation among listed firms.
Attracting more listings remains a priority. Singapore’s IPO fundraising in 2025 exceeded S$2.4 billion, the highest level since 2019. Chee said a vibrant stock market provides reliable exit options for private equity and venture capital investors, enabling capital to be recycled into new start-ups and growth companies.
The STI, first launched in 1966 as the Straits Times Industrial Index, was rebranded in 1998 and now tracks Singapore’s top 30 blue-chip companies, representing about 85% of the market’s total capitalisation. Analysts remain bullish, with forecasts placing the index between 4,880 and 6,000 points by 2026, and longer-term projections stretching even higher.
