SGX Group (Singapore Exchange) today reported a resilient performance for September, rounding off a steady third quarter of 2026 as global investors sought trusted markets and risk-management tools amid persistent uncertainty marked by elevated energy prices and higher borrowing costs.
Securities market turnover rose 27% y-o-y in September to S$42.2 billion, with securities daily average value (SDAV) also up 27% y-o-y at S$1.9 billion. For July-to-September, turnover climbed 31% from the same period in 2025 to S$132 billion, as SDAV gained 33% y-o-y to S$2 billion. The average securities net clearing fee for the July-to-September quarter was 2.58 basis points.
Derivatives daily average volume (DAV) in September stood at 1.4 million contracts, while traded volume declined 2% y-o-y to 29.8 million contracts. For July-to-September, DDAV increased 5% y-o-y to 1.4 million contracts, while total volume was up 4% y-o-y at 90.8 million contracts. The average net fee per contract for equity, currency and commodity derivatives for the July-to-September quarter was S$1.16.
Key highlights:
- Sustained cash-market activity: Cash SDAV rose 30% y-o-y in September to S$1.9 billion, driven by active participation across all client and stock segments. The Straits Times Index (STI) notched another record to 5,801.96 on 4 September, up 22% y-o-y for July-toSeptember, making it the best-performing ASEAN bellwether over the period. Retail investors were net buyers of the Index segment for a third straight quarter, with net inflows climbing to a high of S$1.18 billion over the three months.
- Record ETF AUM: September was a record month in net inflows to STI exchange-traded funds (ETF), with S$293 million of net creations lifting combined STI ETF assets-undermanagement (AUM) to above S$6 billion for the first time. It also marked 19 successive months of net inflows to STI ETFs totalling S$1.96 billion. Gold ETFs attracted S$163 million in net inflows to extend a record streak to 28 months and bringing cumulative net inflows over the period to S$2.9 billion, with combined AUM reaching S$5.27 billion. The CGS Fullgoal Singapore Next 50 Active ETF was listed on 3 September, the first actively managed ETF benchmarked to the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index.
- Growth in capital raising: SGX Stock Exchange welcomed Metrocon Holdings Limited to Catalist on 15 September, adding a Singapore-based specialist in geotechnical foundation engineering to the market. Secondary fundraising climbed 7% y-o-y to S$730.9 million, the highest in five months, led by a sizable placement by Keppel DC REIT.
- New global derivatives suite: SGX Derivatives unveiled its expanded global suite of MSCI equity-index derivatives, offering investors capital-efficient access to 40 regional, country and sector benchmarks through a single platform. These included Net Total Return Futures, Price Return Futures and Options launching in two phases, with 20 contracts introduced on 28 September and 21 more in late October.
- Growing participation in GIFT: Open interest (OI) across GIFT Nifty futures and options rose to a record US$18.2 billion notional in September, surpassing the previous high watermark set in November 2025. Gains were led by a 25% m-o-m increase in GIFT Nifty 50 Futures OI to a record US$17.2 billion notional. GIFT Nifty 50 Futures DAV climbed 28% m-o-m to 112,137 contracts (US$5.2 billion notional), supported by broad-based participation across all client segments.
- More hedging in listed FX: Currency-hedging activity increased in September amid a focus on U.S.-China trade relations and the pace of economic growth. The volume of SGX USD/CNH FX Futures, the world’s most widely traded international renminbi futures, gained 47% y-o-y to 4.9 million contracts, with July-to-September volume rising 41% y-o-y and OI up 27% y-o-y. SGX INR/USD FX Futures volume climbed 59% y-o-y at 3.9 million contracts, capping a strong quarter with volume gaining 58% y-o-y and OI up 55% y-o-y.
- Petrochemicals, freight among commodities highlights: Petrochemical derivatives volume YTD surpassed 45 million metric tonnes (MT) equivalent, exceeding the full-year tally of 2025 as September volume more than doubled y-o-y. Amid heightened volatility, forward freight agreement (FFA) volume increased 32% y-o-y to 270,730 contracts, with average OI reaching 380,105 contracts. To further support the freight-market ecosystem, SGX Commodities launched intraday FFA forward curves for Capesize, Panamax and Supramax on 21 September, enhancing pricing transparency. Separately, SGX McCloskey Hard Coking Coal FOB Australia Swaps and Futures were introduced on 7 September.
The full market statistics report can be found here.
