STI outperforms global indices with 5.6% total return in Q1
Share buybacks reached $560M in the quarter.
The Straits Times Index (STI) rose 5.1% to 4,885.45 in the first quarter of 2026 (Q1), with dividends lifting the total return to 5.6%, according to SGX Group.
The benchmark outperformed the FTSE APAC Index (+0.4%) and the FTSE World Index (-3.0%) in Singapore dollar terms.
Since the end of 2019, monthly dollar-cost averaging into an STI exchange-traded fund delivered an annualised return of 8.4% by end-Q1, compared with a 10.5% annualised total return for a lump-sum investment.
Gains were led by sector performance, with technology up 17.9% and industrials rising 11.7%. Consumer Goods also advanced 13.6%