SGX Securities today welcomed the listing of the LionGlobal Short Duration Bond Fund (Active ETF SGD Class), Singapore’s first actively managed bond ETF and the first SGX-listed share class of an existing mutual fund. These milestones represent a significant innovation in Singapore’s ETF landscape, offering investors a new investment tool that combines the flexibility of an ETF and proven track record of an active fund manager.
Managed by Lion Global Investors (LGI), the ETF is a listed share class of the flagship LionGlobal Short Duration Bond Fund, which was launched in 1991. The fund aims to deliver total return through capital growth and income over the medium to long term, by investing in a diversified portfolio of high-quality short-term bonds from both Singapore and global issuers.
LGI’s latest offering reaffirms its commitment to delivering innovative, actively managed fixed income solutions tailored to evolving investor needs. The ETF will be available in SGD and USD under the SGX codes SBO and SBV respectively.
Ng Yao Loong, Head of Equities, SGX Group, said, “We are pleased to welcome Singapore’s first active bond ETF to SGX. This listing reflects the growing investor demand for differentiated fixed income solutions and marks a new chapter in the evolution of our ETF market. By offering both listed and unlisted share classes under a unified strategy, LGI – an innovator in the domestic asset management industry – has paved the way for greater retail investor choice in accessing fund investments.”
Chu Toh Chieh, Head of Fixed Income and Multi-Asset Solutions, LGI, said, “The level of investor confidence has been encouraging. The AUM for the LionGlobal Short Duration Bond Fund has crossed the S$2 billion milestone with the Initial Offer Period (IOP) AUM of S$141.3 million raised by the ETF share class. It demonstrates the appeal and relevance of the ETF share class to investors, who resonates with the fund’s high-quality active strategy and allows them to enjoy greater liquidity, access and cost efficiency to an investment solution against a low interest rate environment in Singapore.”
The launch of this ETF comes amid rising interest in active ETFs globally, with active ETFs outnumbering passive ETFs in the United States for the first time in June 20251. From the start of the year through 31 July 2025, nearly 37% of all new ETF inflows in the United States were directed into active ETFs – up from just 3% in 2015.
With this listing, the total number of ETFs listed on SGX rises to 50, with combined assets under management (AUM) exceeding S$16 billion.
[1] Source: Morningstar Direct, August 2025
