Most traded mid-cap stocks' average returns hit 10% in 2019

Hi-P International led the pack as returns jumped 101%.

Singapore’s 40 most traded mid-cap companies outside REITs and business trusts averaged a 10% total return in 2019, with the median at 7%, according to a report by SGX. They all received a total of $143.6m in net institutional outflow in 2019.

Of the firms, 19 outpaced the Straits Times Index (STI) with an average 24% total return, whilst 21 fell behind with a 3% decline in return.

Hi-P International emerged as the strongest performing mid-cap stock with a total return of 101% in 2019. It is followed by SBS Transit, with returns hitting 47%, and Bumitama Agri with 34%. SIA Engineering and Oxley Holdings rounded out the top five with returns of 29% and 26% respectively. All five stocks are not listed in the STI.

Meanwhile, the top five stocks with the largest net institutional inflows are ComfortDelGro Corp, SATS, Hi-P International, GuocoLand and Sheng Siong Group. All outpaced the STI for the year.

The 10 biggest recipients of net institutional inflows averaged 18% total returns, whilst the 10 stocks with the largest net institutional outflows averaged a 4% decline in total return.

With net institutional inflows ranked proportionate to market cap as of end-2019, the average of the 10 stocks that ranked the highest in the more congruent measure averaged a 23% total return. These are Hi-P International, ComfortDelGro, Sheng Siong Group, GuocoLand, Thomson Medical Group, SBS Transit, SATS, First Resources, Singapore Press Holdings and Singapore Post.

Singapore’s mid-cap Stocks are generally categorised as listed corporations or trusts with a market cap between $1b to $6b as of end-2019.