Top Singapore blue-chip stocks to watch

What are blue-chip stocks and why Singapore?

Blue-chip stocks are the shares of companies that are reputable, financially stable and long-established within their sector. They tend to be very well known, with market capitalisations running into the billions. They’re usually leaders in their respective industries in terms of market share and size.

There are multiple blue-chip stocks in Singapore that can be considered for trading. How do you know which ones are worth it? The most popular ones are those that are first contenders for inclusion in stock market indices, reflecting overall Singapore stock market performance.

Top blue-chip stocks in Singapore to watch

We looked at many blue-chip stocks in Singapore and chose five based on a number of factors, including their market capitalisations, their recent market activity (consistently growing or volatile), their dividends and more.

With that in mind, here are five of the best blue-chip stocks to follow on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).

DBS Group

Founded in July 1968, DBS Group is one of the world’s largest banks, with operations in 19 markets globally. It ranks among the highest-rated banking groups in Asia in terms of liquidity, funding and capital metrics.

The business is split into two entities – the non-operating holding company, DBS Group Holdings Ltd (DBSH), and the operating entity, DBS Bank Ltd.

DBS has recently been outperforming, making it a decent option for trading and investing in the long term.¹ It’s also a good choice for sustainable-minded traders, as it was the first Singapore bank to sign up to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), which aims to achieve a net-zero future by 2050.

Keppel Corp Ltd

Global asset manager, Keppel Corp, is a formidable player on the SGX. Although it’s headquartered in Singapore, it operates in more than 20 countries. Its main expertise is in sustainable solutions in infrastructure, real estate and connectivity, and it provides critical services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonization and more.

The business is divided into three platforms: fund management, investment and operations. These areas focus on raising capital and creating value for investors, shareholders and those invested in Keppel’s private funds, listed REITs and business trust.

Keppel could be one of the best blue-chip stocks to invest in or trade due to its focus on sustainability – if that’s a motivating factor for you. It also has a resilient multi-business strategy that enables it to offer decent dividends, with a track record of distributing approximately 50% – 60% of its annual net profits.² This shows that the company is on a strong upward trajectory.

Singtel Telecommunications Ltd

As Asia’s leading communications company, Singtel Group has a number of businesses under its banner, including Singtel, Airtel, Optus, AIS, Globe, Telkomsel and more, serving more than 771 million people across 21 countries. It’s been around for more than 140 years, connecting people through phone services.

One if its core focus areas is helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation and find new growth opportunities.

With Singtel’s focus on employing disruptive technologies, it’s a worthy consideration for trading or investing in. It has, however, had some volatility in 2024 due to rumours of it selling a stake in its Australian mobile network, Optus,³ making it an attractive choice for many traders.

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd is a maritime business, building ships, leasing them, managing trade logistics – along with real estate interests. Currently, its assets exceed 70 billion yuan and its operations cover 5 million square metres. It’s based in Singapore but operates mostly in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The company produces container ships, bulk carriers, LNG, LPG, offshore, oil and other multi-purpose vessels.

With a stable share price, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding makes for a good trade if you’re interested in trading over the medium-to-long term. Having said that, its profit is expected to grow over the coming years, so it might be wise to consider investing in it as well. Its current share price is considered relatively cheap – another element to consider when deciding to trade this blue chip stock, which is set to grow over the coming years.⁴

Singapore Airlines

One of the most well-known carriers in the world, Singapore Airlines flies to more than 130 destinations daily and aims to make its flights more sustainable through small measures that make a big difference (think digitising the in-flight magazine and reducing catering waste).

For its ESG initiative, it provides support for multiple artistic endeavours, along with related educational and sporting pursuits.

Its holding company, Temasek, owns subsidiaries like SIA Engineering Company, which services planes for more than 80 airlines, and Scoot, a more affordable airline operating across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.

As far as trading goes, its recent share price activity has been volatile, making it ideal for traders looking for market movements.⁵ In the near term, it might be considered a risky investment, as its growth and future are uncertain.

Advantages and disadvantages of trading Singapore blue-chip stocks

How to trade blue-chip stocks via CFDs with us

1. Create an account or log in
2. Find a blue-chip opportunity
3. Click ‘buy’ to go long or ‘sell’ to short
4. Set your position size
5. Take steps to manage your risk
6. Open and monitor your position

With us you can trade 10,000+ local and international shares via CFDs, enjoy commission as low as 0.1% (min S$10) on local stocks, and trade CFDs after-hours on over 70 US stocks. We make trading for beginners a seamless experience and provide the right tools for advanced traders, so they get what they need from our platform.

Blue-chip stocks summed up

• Blue-chip stocks are shares of reputable, financially stable, and long-established companies, often leaders in their industries with large market capitalisations
• Five of the top blue-chip stocks in Singapore to watch are DBS Group, Keppel Corp Ltd, Singtel Telecommunications Ltd, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd and Singapore Airlines
• Trading blue-chip stocks has advantages (stability for buy-and-hold traders and they’re highly liquid, creating buying and selling opportunities,) and disadvantages (fewer short-term trading opportunities, potential for significant drops during market downturns)
• You can trade blue-chip stocks with us using CFDs

¹ Yahoo Finance, 2024
² Keppel, 2024
³ Reuters, 2024
⁴ Yahoo Finance, 2024
⁵ The Straits Times, 2024