Markets climb as tech stocks stay volatile: Weekly Market Recap

I came across a headline this week that 1 in 7 families in Singapore now earns at least $30,000 a month.

But what really caught my eye was something else.

Investment income is making up a bigger share of household income in Singapore. It rose from 9.6% of total household income in 2020 to 13.5% in 2025.

This includes income such as dividends, as well as interest from savings and deposits.

That got me thinking about my own portfolio too, as I have been trying to grow my interest income and dividend income steadily over time.

I usually start with my liquidity pot within Beansprout’s four pots of wealth.

The good news is that the best fixed deposit rates and best savings account interest rates have moved up in July. This comes as the 6 month Singapore T-bill yield bounced back to 1.5% in the latest auction.

Beyond cash, the other area I have been focusing on is getting more dividend income from income pot. 

So this week, I share some of the factors I look at when evaluating dividend stocks for passive income. For those interested in REITs, I also share the checks I use when looking at Singapore REITs.

Interestingly, some of the best performing REITs in the first half of 2026 also screened well on these checks.

As we move into the second half of 2026, the survey is a timely reminder that income does not only have to come from our salary.

Over time, even small streams of interest and dividends can add up, giving us greater financial resilience.

Gerald, Founder of Beansprout

⏰ This Week In Markets

📊 Tech stocks volatile

What happened? 

The US economy added 57,000 jobs in June, below expectations of 110,000.

At the same time, brent crude price stayed around US$72 per barrel, as investors remained hopeful that US Iran peace talks could make further progress.

This led investors to reduce their expectations of rate hikes this year.

What does this mean?

Lower expectations of further rate hikes helped to support market sentiment.

This helped offset some volatility in technology stocks, especially those linked to Artificial Intelligence, as investors continued to weigh valuations against the sector’s growth prospects.

Why should I care?

The S&P 500 rose by 1.8% for the week, while the technology focused Nasdaq Composite closed 2% higher. 

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index increased 3% for the week, as investors returned to large Chinese technology stocks. 

In Singapore, the Straits Times Index (STI)  gained 1.0%, supported by gains in property related stocks and OCBC.

🚗  Moving This Week

• DBS Group has completed its first significant risk transfer (SRT) transaction, referencing a US$1 billion diversified portfolio of corporate loans. The transaction allows DBS to transfer part of the credit risk to investors and redeploy capital towards new lending and growth opportunities while retaining ownership and servicing of the underlying loans. Read more here
• Frasers Centrepoint Trust is divesting White Sands mall for S$467 million, representing an 8.4% premium to its independent valuation as at May 31, 2026. The sale is expected to be completed around Sep 30, with estimated net proceeds of about S$454.1 million after expenses. The REIT intends to use the proceeds primarily to repay debt. Read more here
• Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust has divested a nursing home property in Japan for 1.165 billion yen (US$7.2 million), representing a 38% premium to its acquisition price and about 5% above its latest valuation. The REIT expects to record a pre-tax disposal gain of around S$600,000 and intends to redeploy the proceeds into higher-growth opportunities. Read more here
• AEM Holdings said a US court has dismissed a patent infringement complaint filed by Advantest Test Solutions against the company and its subsidiaries. The court ruled that Advantest had failed to adequately plead direct or indirect patent infringement relating to two US patents covering precision temperature-control hardware used in semiconductor testing. Read more here
• GuocoLand has secured a S$634.7 million green club facility from OCBC and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to finance the development of its Lentor Central residential site. The site marks GuocoLand’s fifth development within the Lentor Hills estate and is planned for a condominium project comprising about 553 units across three residential towers. Read more here

Source: Bloomberg, CNBC, Business Times, Edge Singapore

💡 The Big Important Story

3 best-performing Singapore blue chip stocks that rose over 20% in 1H 2026. What could drive them next

We look at the top three Singapore blue chip stocks in the first half of 2026 which saw total returns of about 20% or more, and what could support or weaken their momentum as we head into the second half of the year.

🤓 What we're looking out for next week

Key dates

• Monday, 6 Jul: Lion-OCBC Securities China Leaders ETF/ Lion-OCCBC Securities Singapore Low Carbon ETF/ Lion-OCBC Securities APAC Financials Dividend Plus ETF ex-dividend.
• Wednesday, 8 Jul:  FOMC minutes
• Thursday, 9 Jul:  Singapore GDP flash (2Q), Philiip SGX APAC Dividend Leaders REIT ETF ex-dividend
• Friday, 10 Jul:  SK Hynix Nasdaq US dual listing, UMS Integration ex-dividend

Get the full list of stocks with upcoming earnings and upcoming dividends. 

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