SGX buyback spending tops $500m in Q1

Buyback consideration on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) exceeded $500m in the first quarter of 2026, according to its market update.

Close to 50 primary-listed companies repurchased about $560m worth of shares, up from $330m in the first quarter of 2025 and $232m in the first quarter of 2024.

Nearly three-fifths of the total came from Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), and Keppel Corporation (Keppel), according to the report.

Singtel led with $123m spent on 24.9 million shares at an average price of $4.95, including 21.2 million shares bought in March under its value realisation programme.

​OCBC repurchased 5.4 million shares for about $116m at an average price of $21.43, whilst Keppel acquired 7.7 million shares for about $94m at $12.28 each.

Other companies, including United Overseas Bank, Singapore Technologies Engineering, SATS Ltd, Singapore Airlines, and SGX, recorded buybacks ranging from about $58m to $16.8m.

Amongst non-STI stocks, The Hour Glass recorded about $7.5m in buybacks, whilst Hong Fok Corporation posted around $4.5m.

The data excludes buybacks conducted on other exchanges, as well as those by REITs, business trusts, and stapled trusts.