Wild price swings rock Singapore’s largest stocks

STI volatility more than tripled in 2015.

Singapore's 100 largest stocks have experienced extreme price volatility in the past twelve months. Latest data released by the SGX show that the typical percentage move between the 12-month high and low of the 100 stocks was a staggering 39%.

The same calculation for the benchmark Straits Times Index generated a percentage swing of 37% for the past 12 months, up from a comparative percentage swing of 12% in the 12 month period through to 18 Feb 2015.

Though the figure looks intimidating, it is much smaller compared to volatility in Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, where there was a percentage swing of 53% between the 12 month high at 28,588 and 12 month low based on February 18 closing prices.

Among these 100 stocks, the 20 stocks that saw the smallest percentage move between their 12 month high and low were made up of nine trusts and 11 corporations.

These 20 stocks averaged a percentage move of 22% between 12 month highs and lows, in addition to averaging a 1.8% total return over the past 12 months.