SGX securities market hits record high in 2012

Performance is up 20% for the year.

Singapore Exchange reports that the securities market performance as measured by the Straits Times Index was up 20% in 2012.

There are notable caveats though with regard to trading. "As in most global markets, trading activities declined." Also, securities turnover was lackluster, declining 12% in 2012 to S$321.5 billion; securities average daily value (SDAV) was 12% down at S$1.3 billion.

December proved to be a rallying period with securities turnover up 39% from a year earlier at S$23.2 billion; SDAV grew 46% to S$1.2 billion.

In the derivatives market, volume in 2012 reached a new high of 80.2 million contracts, up 11%; daily average volume also grew 11% to a new high of 326,595 contracts. Open interest reached a new high of 2.95 million contracts on 13 December. In December, volume was up 55% from a year earlier at 8.0 million contracts; daily average volume grew 67% to a record-high 402,920 contracts.

Commodities performed strongly in December and the whole of 2012. Volume of agri-commodity futures grew 56% in 2012 to 255,815 contracts. December volume grew 18% year-on-year to 20,442 contracts. Volume of commodity swaps cleared in 2012 grew 74% to 332,465 contracts. In December, volume cleared grew 80% year-on-year to 22,036 contracts.

Meanwhile volume of OTC interest rate swaps cleared totalled S$316 billion notional since the November 2010 launch. New trades cleared in 2012 totalled S$85 billion, up 39% year-on-year. In December, volume of new trades cleared was S$2.3 billion, up 91% from a year earlier.

Here are the other key highlights for the year:

• Stock market capitalisation grew 20% in 2012 to S$935 billion.
• Bond listings reached a three-year high of S$183.1 billion in 2012, up 49% from the previous year. There were 390 bond listings in 2012, up 36%. The biggest listings during the year were the US$2.25 billion Indonesian sovereign bonds and the US$2 billion Nippon Life Insurance 30-year bond. In December, 16 bond listings raised S$5.4 billion. The value of listings was down 35% from a year earlier. The largest bond listing in December was the US$1 billion Mongolian government bond.
• SGX’s newer derivative contracts continued to gain traction, posting strong volume growth in December and all of 2012. China A50 futures volume tripled in 2012 to a new high of 10 million contracts. Trading of the contract also reached a new one-month high of 1.7 million contracts in December after achieving a record one-day volume of 196,968 contracts on 18 December.
• Nikkei Dividend Index futures volume more than doubled in 2012 to a new high of 152,554 contracts. In December, volume was up 25% from a year earlier at 5,533 contracts.
• Volume of the Indian Nifty futures contracts in 2012 reached a new high 14.7 million contracts, up 0.3%. December volume grew 4% year-on-year to 1.2 million contracts.
• SICOM rubber futures volume grew 55% in 2012 to 255,815 contracts. In December, volume was up 21% year-on-year to 20,442 contracts.
• Volume of iron ore swaps cleared in 2012 more than doubled to 217,803 contracts, a new record high. In December, volume more than doubled to 18,968 contracts from a year earlier.