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The most recent Investment Managers Outlook Survey from the Investment Management Association of Singapore offers essential perspective on how the industry is likely to evolve in this part of the world in the coming months and years. It provides effective insight into the latest investment management news Singapore and the challenges, developments and trends that are incoming.

Chongqing Liangjiang New District Management Committee and Singapore-based Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) have struck an investment agreement. CIC would invest RMB 10 million (S$2.07million) to build its international digital commerce platform in China's Guoyuan Port in Chongqing Municipality under the terms of the deal. The project will contribute to the China-Singapore Connectivity Initiative, as it will be able to use the CIC platform capabilities in Singapore to allow data connectivity and compatibility, as well as develop a thriving commodity trading environment in Guoyuan Port.

The financial authorities of Singapore have granted a preliminary licence to Hana Financial Group, a major South Korean bank, to create an asset management firm in the sovereign island city-state. Hana Financial's entry into the Singapore market is part of the company's plan to increase international revenues from 21.7 percent to total profits of over 40 percent by 2025. In addition to diversifying its earnings portfolio under the protracted low-interest environment, the assets management firm's debut in Singapore would expand its non-banking operations.

COVID-19 has hit Singapore like every other country around the world and the measures that have been taken to contain it over the past year have impacted the financial markets. Now, with more steps announced to handle a new rise in cases, including a cluster at Tan Tock Sen Hospital, analysts are predicting yet more change on the Singapore Bourse. Profit-taking is the trend that analysts are forecasting as a result of the new measures that are going to be put in place until 30th May. Although some selling has already begun it's thought that this is going to increasingly affect bank and transport stocks with Singapore Airlines and Sats likely to take a hit as well as retail Reits. Office Reits aren't likely to be affected in the same way and analysts are predicting that industrial Reits are likely to be the least impacted by the new measures.

2020 was not an easy year for Singapore's markets. In fact, at the end of 2020 the Straits Times Index (STI) had lost around 11.8% making it the worst performer in Asia. While this may have made many nervous at the end of last year, by the end of the first quarter of 2021 there was already good news with the STI making double digits with a 12.4% gain. Singapore is renowned for being cyclical, in that the market and the stocks within it rise and fall in alignment with economic fluctuations. Valuation in the Singapore market is one of the cheapest in the region and that has given rise to some strong mergers and acquisitions activity among listed companies.

Fintech in Singapore continued to develop in 2020, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic and restrictions on working and development. The establishment of Singapore's very first digital banks, as well as fintech initiatives introduced by local regulators were just two of the factors that had a very positive influence on the market for financial technology in Singapore during 2020.

The field of quantitative analysis is a fast evolving one and has had a big impact on investing strategies, business models and the structure of markets in recent years. The past decade has seen quants change the stock trading game and there is more to come if the predictions from some of the top quants are right.

At the beginning of March 2021, The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) jointly issued a paper on managing and mitigating new risks that are predicted to emerge from the extensive remote working arrangements adopted by financial institutions (FIs) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper indicated that financial institutions should continue to review and enhance their risk management practices to address evolving risks.

In Asia as well as globally, Singapore is one of the leading private banking and wealth management centers. As a country, it has a long history of attracting high net worth individuals (HNWI) thanks to its sound financial regulations, strong legal system and its political and economic stability.

As we reach Q1's halfway mark we are able to reflect on the positive trends likely to impact financial services recruitment roles in what is set to be a year of growth. In the past few years Singapore has seen a steady stream of global managers set up shop. Recently JPMorgan doubled Singapore private bankers and U.S. hedge fund D.E. Shaw communicated plans to grow its Asia-Pacific footprint with the opening of an office in Singapore during 2021. Moreover, Singapore has great benefits when it comes to ease of access, capabilities and platforms.