Scouring through the 52-week high share price list is a good method for filtering out potential investment candidates.
Stocks that hit their year-high may have strong business models and catalysts which can take their business to the next level.
Such companies may be poised to continue growing their profits and/or dividends, making them ideal candidates for long-term investment.
Here are five Singapore stocks that recently touched their 52-week high, but should they be in your investment portfolio?
Singapore Technologies Engineering (SGX: S63)
Singapore Technologies Engineering, or STE, is a technology and engineering firm serving customers in the aerospace, smart city, defence, and public security sectors.
STE’s share price surged 55.5% year-to-date and hit its 52-week high of S$7.42 recently.
For 2024, revenue increased by 11.6% year on year to S$11.3 billion while operating profit shot up 17.7% year on year to S$1.1 billion.
Net profit climbed 19.7% year on year to S$702.3 million.
The engineering giant declared a final dividend of S$0.05 per share, taking its total 2024 dividend to S$0.17, one cent higher than the previous year.
STE snagged a total of S$12.6 billion in new contracts last year, taking its order book to S$28.5 billion as of 31 December 2024.
There could be more to come.
The group has announced a progressive dividend plan during its recent Investor Day 2025 and has committed to pay a total of S$0.18 per share in dividends this year.
If STE achieves steadily higher net profit over the years, it intends to pay out one-third of the increase in net profit as an additional dividend.
Singtel (SGX: Z74)
Singtel is Singapore’s largest telecommunications company, offering a wide spectrum of services such as mobile and broadband.
Singtel’s share price has also been on a tear, shooting up 22.3% year-to-date and touching its 52-week high of S$3.84 recently.
The blue-chip telco reported a robust set of earnings for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 (9M FY2025).
Underlying operating revenue rose 0.7% year on year to S$10.6 billion, while underlying operating profit increased by 12.8% year on year to S$1.1 billion.
Singtel’s underlying net profit rose 11.3% year on year to S$1.9 billion.
The better performance was supported by strong showings at Optus and NCS for 9M FY2025.
Active capital management should also support higher returns, and Singtel is guiding for a total ordinary dividend of around S$0.165 for fiscal 2025, slightly above FY2024’s total dividend of S$0.15.
Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX: S68)
Singapore Exchange Limited, or SGX, is Singapore’s sole stock exchange operator and operates a platform for the buying and selling of a wide variety of securities such as equities, bonds, and derivatives.
SGX saw its share price rise 14.6% year-to-date, and it touched its 52-week high recently of S$14.80.
For the first half of fiscal 2025 (1H FY2025) ending 31 December 2024, SGX saw its net operating revenue rise 15.6% year on year to S$646.4 million.
Net profit excluding exceptional items climbed 27.3% year on year to S$320.1 million.
The bourse operator upped its interim dividend from S$0.085 to S$0.09, taking its annualised dividend per share to S$0.36.
SGX is widening its product suite to include securities such as Singapore Depository Receipts (SDRs) to broaden investors’ investment options.
It has also onboarded more overseas brokers and attracted more investors from ASEAN.
Management is optimistic about achieving its target of 6% to 8% revenue growth in the medium term.
Food Empire (SGX: F03)
Food Empire is a food and beverage manufacturer with a portfolio spanning instant beverages, snack foods, and food ingredients.
The group’s products are sold in 60 countries, and its operations are supported by nine manufacturing facilities in six countries with 23 offices worldwide.
Food Empire’s share price has leapt 58.2% year-to-date and is trading near its all-time high of S$1.56.
The food manufacturer reported a mixed set of earnings for 2024.
Total revenue increased nearly 12% year on year to US$476.3 million, but normalised net profit fell by 11.4% year on year to US$50 million.
Food Empire generated a small positive free cash flow of US$1.1 million for the last year.
The group declared a final dividend of S$0.06 along with a special dividend of S$0.02, bringing the total dividend declared to S$0.08.
As part of its expansion strategy, Food Empire invested in new production facilities in Asia.
These include a new coffee-mix production facility in Kazakhstan and a freeze-dried soluble coffee manufacturing facility in Vietnam.
The former factory will be completed by the end of this year, while the latter should be completed by 2028.
Sheng Siong (SGX: OV8)
Sheng Siong is one of the largest supermarket operators in Singapore, with 77 stores around the island as of February 2025.
Sheng Siong’s share price has risen 8% year-to-date and recently hit its 52-week high of S$1.77.
The retailer reported a commendable set of earnings for 2024, with revenue rising 4.5% year on year to S$1.43 billion.
Gross profit improved by 6.1% year on year to S$435.5 million while net profit inched up 2.6% year on year to S$137.5 million.
Free cash flow climbed 20.3% year on year to S$200.8 million.
Sheng Siong declared a final dividend of S$0.032, taking the total dividend for 2024 to S$0.064.
For 2024, Sheng Siong opened six new stores, and in the first two months of 2025, another two new stores were opened.
Management targets to open at least three new stores per year.
The group is awaiting the tender results for eight more stores and could see itself opening more stores before the end of this year.
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Disclosure: Royston Yang owns shares of Singapore Exchange Limited.
