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    Home»Blue Chips»Beyond Banks: Top 3 Blue-Chip Stocks to Watch This Week
    Blue Chips

    Beyond Banks: Top 3 Blue-Chip Stocks to Watch This Week

    CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, SGX and Venture Corporation are in focus this week as investors await their latest earnings results.
    The Smart InvestorBy The Smart InvestorAugust 3, 2026Updated:August 20, 20265 Mins Read
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    CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (CLAR)
    5 Science Park Drive | Image credit: www.capitaland-ascendasreit.com
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    Singapore banks get plenty of attention, and rightly so.

    But there is more to the Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) than the banking trio. 

    Three, in particular, are worth watching this week. 

    Firstly, CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (SGX: A17U) reports its latest results on 5 August 2026. 

    On the following day, Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX: S68), or SGX, and Venture Corporation (SGX: V03) will step up and deliver their latest results.

    But there are different factors to watch for each one. 

    Does SGX’s dividend commitment survive its first full-year test?

    SGX reported net revenue of S$695.4 million for the first half of its fiscal year ending 30 June 2026, up 7.6% year on year (YoY).  

    Equities – Cash led the way. 

    The segment climbed 16.2% to S$223.9 million as securities daily average traded value rose 19.5%. 

    Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities rose 12.5% to S$178.9 million on higher SGX FX, commodity and currency derivatives volumes.

    The profit line told a different story. 

    Net profit attributable to shareholders barely moved. 

    It reached S$342.7 million, up 0.8% YoY. 

    Operating profit jumped 10.8% over the same half. 

    Lower non-operating gains and a S$15.0 million goodwill impairment related to Scientific Beta absorbed the difference. 

    That impairment involved no cash outflow. 

    On an adjusted basis, net profit rose 11.6% to S$357.1 million.

    Cash generation held up better. 

    Net cash from operating activities reached S$363.7 million for the half. 

    The group declared an interim quarterly dividend of S$0.110.

    The 6 August release closes the full financial year. 

    Management reaffirmed its medium-term organic top-line growth target of 6% to 8%, excluding treasury income.

    It also guided expense growth of 4% to 6% and capital expenditure of S$90 million to S$95 million for FY2026.

    All three targets settle on one release. 

    Management has separately committed to a S$0.0025 quarterly dividend increase until the end of FY2028.

    Did Venture’s recovery extend past the first quarter?

    Venture Corporation posted revenue of S$628.5 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 1.9% YoY. 

    Earnings per share rose 0.9% to S$0.195. 

    Net profit reached S$56.3 million on a net margin of 9.0%. 

    Earnings grew more slowly than revenue.

    On a constant currency basis, revenue would have risen 8.2% YoY. 

    Foreign exchange accounted for the 6.3 percentage-point gap. 

    Whether that drag narrows at the half-year matters.

    Underneath the flat top line, the mix shifted. 

    Portfolio B grew S$42 million YoY on demand for AI-related infrastructure across Test & Measurement Instrumentation, Networking & Communications, and Semiconductor Related Equipment. 

    Portfolio A fell S$30 million. 

    Lifestyle Consumer volumes declined after a customer improved the reliability of a key product.

    Venture held a net cash position above S$1.0 billion as at 31 March 2026, after paying higher dividends and buying back shares during 2025. 

    Venture declared no dividend for the first quarter. 

    The group declares at the half-year and full-year stages instead. 

    That makes 6 August the first dividend data point of 2026.

    Free cash flow is the lifeblood of dividends. 

    Venture did not disclose it at this reporting cadence. 

    The half-year statement gives dividend investors their first proper look.

    What does CLAR’s first distribution of 2026 look like after the equity raise?

    CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, or CLAR, ranks as Singapore’s oldest industrial REIT. 

    The portfolio spans 229 properties across Singapore, the US, Australia and the UK/Europe, with investment properties valued at S$18.6 billion as at 31 March 2026.

    CLAR discloses gross revenue, net property income and distribution per unit on a half-yearly basis. 

    The 5 August release brings the first of those disclosures for 2026. 

    Distributions run off distributable income rather than free cash flow. 

    The underlying property numbers carry the weight here.

    Portfolio occupancy eased to 90.5% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 91.5% a year ago. 

    Rental reversion came in at 10.6% for leases renewed during the quarter. 

    Singapore delivered 10.5%, and the US led at 15.1%. 

    Management guided for mid-single-digit rental reversion across 2026. 

    That guidance marks a step down from the quarter just reported. 

    Cost of debt held at 3.5%.

    The REIT completed approximately S$525 million of acquisitions during the quarter. 

    It has announced a further S$1.1 billion, covering a 49% interest in a Tier III hyperscale data centre in Greater Osaka and 25 Loyang Crescent in Singapore. 

    Aggregate leverage rose to 42.0% as at 31 March 2026. 

    Management expects it to ease to around 37.3% after the S$903.5 million equity fundraising completed in April 2026.

    That fundraising enlarged the unit base. 

    Investors will find out on 5 August how the enlarged base affects distribution per unit.

    Get Smart: Forecast Versus Reality

    A forecast tells you what a company believes. 

    A result shows what it delivered. 

    Between 5 and 6 August, three companies will close that distance. 

    SGX will settle a full year of guidance on a single release. 

    Venture’s half-year statement will carriy both the first dividend and the first free cash flow figure of 2026. 

    CLAR will declare against a unit base that grew in April. 

    Read each result against what the company said last time, not against the headline.

    If you want to retire with a constant stream of dividends, these 5 stocks might be all you need. We’ve found 5 SG stocks that have kept paying (and growing) through inflation, rate hikes, and recessions. See what they are with our latest free report for SGX dividend investors. Click here to get instant access.

    Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram for the latest investing news and analyses!

    Disclosure: The Smart Investor owns shares of SGX and CLAR.

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