Which insurance stock is the best performer YTD?

The overall segment registered high gains in 2014.

Singapore’s finance & insurance sector registered the highest growth for the services-producing industries, with the MTI noting that this was propped up by fund management and insurance segments.

According to a media release by SGX, the four insurance stocks listed on SGX – Great Eastern Holdings, United Overseas Insurance, Singapore Reinsurance Corporation, and SHC Capital Asia – have a combined market capitalisation of S$12.3 billion.

Together, the four insurance stocks have averaged a 7.2% year-to-date total return, bringing their average one-year total return to 41.3% and three-year total average return to 66.2%.

SGX reveals that three of the four insurance stocks have generated positive gains. SHC Capital Asia was the best performer with a 26.8% price increase, followed by Great Eastern Holdings with 3.5%, and United Overseas insurance with 1.7%.

Meanwhile, the three largest capitalised insurance stocks – Great Eastern Holdings, United Overseas Insurance and Singapore Reinsurance Corporation – have a history of distributing dividends semi-annually. Shares in the three stocks will go ex-dividend in the next two weeks.