About this episode
Our Head of ASEAN Research Nick Lord discusses how Singapore’s technological innovation and market influence are putting it on track to continue rising among the world’s richest countries. Read more insights from Morgan Stanley. ----- Transcript ----- Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I’m Nick Lord, Morgan Stanley’s Head of ASEAN Research. Today – Singapore is about to celebrate its 60th year of independence. And it’s about to enter its most transformative decade yet. It’s Monday, the 28th of July, at 2 PM in Singapore. Singapore isn’t just marking a significant birthday on August 9th. It’s entering a new era of wealth creation that could nearly double household assets in just five years. That’s right—we’re projecting household net assets in the city state will grow from $2.3 trillion today to $4 trillion by 2030. So, what’s driving this next chapter? Well, Singapore is evolving from a safe harbor for global capital into a strategic engine of innovation and influence driven by three major forces. First, the country’s growing role as a global hub. Second, its early and aggressive adoption of new technologies. And last but not least, a bold set of reforms aimed at revitalizing its equity markets. Together, these pillars are setting the stage for broad-based wealth creation—and investors are taking notice. Singapore is home to just 6 million people, but it’s already the fourth-richest country in the world on a per capita basis. And it's not stopping there. By 2030, we expect the average household net worth to rise from $1.6 million to an impressive $2.5 million. Assets under management should jump from $4 trillion to $7 trillion. And the MSCI Singapore Index could gain 10 percent annually, potentially doubling in value over the next five years. Return on equity for Singaporean companies is also set to rise—from 12 percent to 14 percent—thanks to productivity gains, market reforms, and stronger shareholder returns. But let me come back to this first pillar of Singapore’s growth story. Its ambition to become a hub of hubs. It’s already a major player in finance, trade, and transportation, Singapore is now doubling down on its strengths. In commodities, it handles 20 percent of the world’s energy and metals trading—and it could become a future hub for LNG and carbon trading. Elsewhere, in financial services, Singapore’s also the third largest cross-border wealth booking centre, and the third-largest FX trading hub globally. Tourism is also a key piece of the puzzle, contributing about 4 percent to GDP. The country continues to invest in world-class infrastructure, events, and attractions keeping the visitors—and their dollars—coming. As for technology – the second key pillar of growth – Singapore is going all in. It’s becoming a regional hub for data and AI, with Malaysia and Japan also in the mix. Together, these countries are expected to attract the lion’s share of the $100 billion in Asia’s data center and GenAI investments this decade. Worth noting – Singapore is already a top-10 AI market globally, with over 1,000 startups, 80 research facilities, and 150 R&D teams. It’s also a regional leader in autonomous vehicles, with 13 AVs currently approved for public road trials. And robots are already working at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Finally, despite its economic strength, Singapore’s stock market had long been seen as sleepy — dominated by a few big banks and real estate firms. But that’s changing fast and becoming the third pillar of Singapore’s remarkable growth story. This year, the government rolled out a sweeping set of reforms to breathe new life into the market. That includes tax incentives, regulatory streamlining, and a $4 billion capital injection from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to boost liquidity—especially for small- and mid-cap stocks. We also expect that there will be a push to get listed companies more engaged with shareholders, encouraging them to communicate their business plans and value propositions more clearly. The goal here is to raise Singapore’s price-to-book ratio from 1.7x to 2.3x—putting it on a par with higher-rated markets like Taiwan and Australia. So, what does all this mean for investors? Well, Singapore is not just celebrating its past—it’s building its future. With smart policy, bold innovation, and a clear vision, it’s positioning itself as one of the most dynamic and investable markets in the world. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.