Returns of my STI portfolio after 10 years

As we all know by now, the Straits Times Index has been on an incredible bull run.

In fact, it is now commonly referred to as the Super Terrific Index. 😀 

So I decided to write another feel-good post about my returns from investing in STI, which should be higher than the 6.4% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) reported in my previous post. 

I have collected $25,734 in dividends over the last 10 years. I started DCA on 24 Apr 2014. 

So, how much have those returns netted me?

To get a clear picture, I looked at the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of my investments. Think of CAGR as the smoothed annual rate of return—it tells you what your average yearly growth rate would have been if the investment had grown at a steady rate from start to finish, without considering the ups and downs in between.

This CAGR is computed using the FV() formula in Google Sheets, which stands for Future Value. In my case, I plugged in the lump sum invested at the start, the number of periods invested in months, and the final portfolio value.

Without dividends included, I achieved a CAGR of 5.10%. 

With dividends included, my CAGR increases to 8.2%! 

With this CAGR of 8.2%, it means my portfolio will double in 8-9 years.

Results are as of 22 Jul 2024. 

In summary:

Metric	Value
Dividends Collected	+$25,734
Unrealised Profits	+$31,111
Simple Returns	+36.23%
CAGR (Excluding Dividends)	+5.10%
CAGR (Including Dividends)	+8.20%

Let’s compare this to the ever-popular S&P 500 index.

According to Wikipedia, since its inception in 1926, the S&P 500 has delivered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.8% including dividends (around 6% after inflation).

So yes, my STI portfolio CAGR of 8.20% still trails the long-term performance of the S&P 500. But this is home ground for me, and I’m genuinely happy to see the Straits Times Index (STI) holding up reasonably well—especially with dividends included. It goes to show that solid, long-term investing in local markets can still yield respectable returns.

Anyway, since I’m Singaporean, don’t mind me blowing my own trumpet a bit here (referring to the Singapore stock market). 🇸🇬📈

STI is poised to go higher. Let's see what the future brings!

Sky is the limit for STI

Since my previous post on the STI, it has broken through its resistance level.

In fact, turns out the 'resistance' at 4,165 was not much of a resistance at all, lol!

That is why I feel chart reading/technical analysis is not 100% accurate; it can only serve as a guide, but you cannot trust it 100% completely.

Here is the chart of STI currently:

The STI has created new highs almost every single day for the last 2 weeks.

From a technical analysis perspective, there is no other resistance in sight. 

So how much higher can it go?

Maybe we can get some idea from the 5 billion injection by MAS, announced in February 2025:

https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/new-5-billion-scheme-by-mas-to-boost-spore-stocks-as-part-of-measures-to-revive-sgx

From the article, we learn the following:

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will launch a $5 billion programme through which it will partner with selected fund managers to invest in Singapore stocks, it said on Feb 21.

The programme will invest in a range of funds managed by local as well as foreign fund managers based in Singapore.

Eligible fund strategies include those that invest in Singapore equities, or invest a substantial component in Singapore equities as part of a regional or thematic focus.

The strategies should be actively managed, commercially viable and work towards attracting capital from other commercial investors including institutional funds, family offices and other private entities, MAS added.

So, $5 billion will be pumped into the STI. 

Has this pumping started yet? Based on the news below as of today 21 July 2025, it seems no.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/mas-appoints-first-3-asset-managers-inject-initial-s1-1-billion-singapore-equities

Now, let's ask a hypothetical question:

Assuming we freeze the STI now at 4,207 and pump in 5 billion, how much higher can the STI go?

Let's do some back-of-the-envelope calculations.

First, we need to know how much the combined capitalization of the STI is currently.

According to Perplexity.AI, it is now S$661.4 billion.

So with an additional 5 billion pumped in, this represents a 0.7% increase. 

A 0.7% increase of today's STI of 4,207 will give us 4,236.

At the rate this is going, I think very likely STI will rise above 4,236 (note the 5 billion pumping has not even started!). Hence, we can even take 4,236 as the lower bound (barring any black swan events).

STI, onwards!!

Portfolio Returns for July 2025

I felt it would be good to track the returns regularly since they fluctuate frequently depending on the stock market.

Here are the movements for this month. There is an upward tick across almost all my portfolios. Huge jump for cryptocurrency. Too bad never buy more 😛

For the Robo-Advisors, also upward trend across all my portfolios.

                                            

Additionally, I think it will be interesting to see the breakdown of my portfolios in percentages (below). 

The stock market over the past 30 days has been influenced by a combination of macroeconomic, geopolitical, and sector-specific factors:

Tariffs and Trade Tensions: Anticipation of new U.S. tariffs set for an early August deadline has created an overhang, leading investors into a "wait-and-see" mode. The impact has caused sector-level volatility, particularly affecting industries exposed to international trade, yet the broader market has remained resilient as details and retaliation risk are still being evaluated.


Macroeconomic Data: Recent data releases, including inflation figures and retail sales, have generally met or exceeded expectations. June's inflation (CPI) came in at 2.7% year-over-year, slightly above estimates, but not high enough to alarm markets. Retail sales for the same period also surpassed forecasts, supporting the narrative of robust consumer demand even as underlying details suggest shifting spending patterns. This positive economic data has buoyed market sentiment and driven indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to fresh all-time highs.


Federal Reserve Policy: The market expects the Federal Reserve to hold rates steady in the near term, with potential for one or two rate cuts before year-end if inflation moderates or economic growth weakens. Continued uncertainty around Fed timing and messaging has contributed to short-term volatility, while the prospect of lower rates is generally seen as supportive for equities in the medium term.


Geopolitical Risks: Tensions in the Middle East, particularly following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian facilities, have introduced headline risk and stoked fears of broader conflict, impacting risk appetite and adding to volatility. So far, equity markets have demonstrated resilience, but the situation remains fluid and could still be a source of sudden market moves.


Corporate Earnings: The Q2 earnings season is ongoing, with most companies so far beating expectations. This has provided an additional catalyst for market gains, particularly in sectors like technology, which has led the recent rally after a correction earlier in the year. 

Onwards!

Of lying flat and the meaning of life

I came across 2 videos on Youtube recently that made me ponder a bit about life. 

The first is of SM Lee with his infinite wisdom giving advice to young people: 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AFJz1pG92sY

I quote:

Question:

How should young Singaporeans define success in today's society and what mindset should we adopt for the future of Singapore?

Answer by SM Lee:

I think it's for the young Singaporeans to define what they would like success to mean.

If you are born with all the advantages which your parents' generation didn’t have — I mean, if you are 35 years old, 35 years ago the internet existed but social media didn’t. AI certainly had not made the breakthroughs yet. It was a completely different world. The cadence was different.

In 35 years, our standard of living in Singapore has probably gone up by 50 to 70%, at least 50%. Your opportunities for education have gone up — from maybe 30% of people going to university, to now nearly half the cohort going to university.

They come out, there are jobs available for them, and the world’s their oyster.

You have a Singapore degree from AU(autonomous university). You can go anywhere in the world and find work. We are in Silicon Valley. We’re all over China. You go to the deepest parts of Africa — you’ll find Singaporeans there. In Rwanda, there’s one young lady who’s running an advanced chicken farm, doing very well.

So, what do you want to make of your life — for yourself, for your family, for your country, for your fellow human beings?

There are so many things you can do. Don’t lie flat.

It is such a waste. That your parents will be disappointed in you is neither here nor there. If you lie flat, after a while, I hope you’re ashamed of yourself.

We did all this for you. Make use of it and show us that actually, you’re better than us.

Wise words. 

The second video I will like to share is the below:

 

In the video, this monk asked what is the meaning of life? His answer:

The meaning of life is to go beyond onself. To go beyond self-interest, so that we can contribute to a larger community. 

These thoughts are very much related to an earlier post I wrote about what we seek in life from George Yeo:

https://financeopti.blogspot.com/2023/08/what-do-you-seek-in-life.html

 So to summarize my thoughts so far:

In the grand scheme of things, FIRE is only part of the journey. By itself, it is not enough. We need to seek meaning in our lives, and the only way to seek meaning is to go beyond oneself. Don't lie flat. 

Or to put it even more plainly:

FIRE is not the FINAL BOSS.

When will STI meet resistance?

The STI has been on a bull run lately, buoyed by the 3 big bank's stocks, as well as Singtel.

Here are the reasons:

1. Dominance and Record Results of Local Banks

DBS, UOB, and OCBC, Singapore’s major banks, form over half the index’s weight and have posted record profits. For example, DBS reported a record net profit of S$11.3 billion, with both net interest and non-interest income rising. Higher-for-longer interest rates have boosted banks’ net interest margins, and all three banks have increased their dividend payouts, further attracting investor demand.

Positive bank earnings are particularly significant as the trio now makes up over 50% of the STI, so gains here strongly lift the entire index.

2. Singapore’s Appeal as a Safe Haven

Amid global market volatility—stemming from policy uncertainty in the US, China’s growth deceleration, and geopolitical risks—Singapore’s reputation as a stable and defensive investment destination has drawn in regional and international funds. Singapore is now ranked just behind India as a prime investor preference in Asia.

The STI has benefited from substantial foreign capital inflows, looking for safety and resilience.

3. Robust Economic Growth

The Singapore economy posted above-trend GDP growth—4.4% in 2024 and an estimated 3.8% year-on-year growth in Q1 2025. Strong economic fundamentals have supported higher corporate earnings and investor optimism.

4. Strong Performance from Non-Banking Blue-Chips

Companies like Singtel have shown substantial share price increases, with consistent growth in profits and dividends. Industrial firms and select REITs, such as CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, have also delivered solid results, contributing to broad-based gains across the index.

Strategic reforms to improve market liquidity and sector performance—particularly in banking, industrials, and telecom—have fueled confidence and are seen as unlocking further upside in the STI.

5. Dividend and Share Buyback Trends

Growth in dividends from major stocks and active share buyback programs (for example, major bank buybacks) are adding to total shareholder returns, making the STI more attractive to yield-seeking investors.

6. Supportive Global and Regional Trends

Global uptake in equities, especially defensive blue-chips, followed a period of outperformance by Asian markets like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Lower-than-expected inflation data and a more gradual pace of US Fed rate cuts have further stabilized investor sentiment.

7. Rotation from Money-Market Funds into Equities in 2025

Historically High Money-Market Fund Balances: As of the first half of 2025, assets in U.S. money-market funds reached a record $7 trillion. This followed several years of strong inflows, reflecting investor caution amid high interest rates and significant global uncertainty.

Outflows and Shifts: Recent months have seen notable outflows from money-market funds and increased inflows to risk assets, especially as expectations for interest rate cuts have mounted and equity markets have rallied. For example, in May 2025, European MMFs saw significant outflows (over €10 billion), matched by strong inflows into equity funds (+€23.8 billion for the month).
There is also a currently ongoing rotation of money from money-market funds into equities.

Wrapping up my 25th month of Financial Independence

I just finished my 25th month of FI (Financial Independence) in June 2025.

Haven't been posting these updates in a while, but that is because I took up a part-time gig. It is not a 9-6 salaried job. But rather, part-time teaching. Although it is part-time, I have to admit it took up a lot of my time as I have to prepare for the classes. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and a great learning journey for me. Also, importantly, it gives me more gunpowder to fire any shots if opportunities arise! 😀

In case you are wondering, I consider myself financially independent, but NOT retired. 

Below is what I ate and did for fun, and a record of my expenses.

Eating

Pork bone soup. Sedap. 

Banana split but the plate seems too big.

Father's day meal at Jack's Place. The steak was ok only.

Father's day meal at Jack's place!

Fun

Park royal resorts Bintan for the June Holidays.
 

Chilling by the pool.

Beautiful at night. 

Expenses (Discretionary only)

 

Eating Out Target: $650

Eating Out Actual: $595.91

Household Target: $600

Household Actual: $85.19

Travel Target: $100

Travel Actual: $69.10

Entertainment Target: $50

Entertainment Actual: $0

Personal Target: $250

Personal Actual: $42.89

Onwards to the next month of FI! 

  

Dividends for Jun 2025 - Towards 5k a month

Here are my dividends for Jun 2025:

                                    

So I collected $2,169.69 in dividends for this month. 

 
In case you are wondering, some stocks are repeated because I have 2 brokerage accounts.

Here are my monthly dividends over the last 6 years:

                                 

Here are the dividends I collected every year until the current day:

                                

Almost going to surpass the yearly dividends from 3 years ago.

Here is the progress of my average monthly dividends over the years:

                         

The value for 2025 is just based on 6 data points though, and it may decline as we get more data points.

I plan to first receive $2500 (achieved), then finally $5000 in dividends every month on average.

Additionally, I share the interest I received from the various banks for the deposits in this month:

                                        

Also, in this month I made $0 from my side hustle - Grabfood delivery. Didn't manage to find the time due to a new part-time gig I took up. 

All in, I made $2,751.16 this month from dividends, interest, food delivery.

Onwards!   

        

FI Status after 2. years of FI [Financial Independence]

I have achieved FI status in Mar 2023:

https://financeopti.blogspot.com/2023/03/breaking-free-i-have-achieved-financial.html

Now it is timely to re-evaluate whether I am still FI.

I did my spreadsheets and arrived at the following:

As long as the cell in the red box is negative, I am FI. 

I will do this analysis at the beginning of every quarter. 

From the above, it seems I am still FI. 

I have also attached a chart showing the % change in my total investable assets over the years.

                        

For this quarter Q2 2025, total investable assets increased slightly to 0.60%. This is likely due to the good market bull run.