Sembcorp Industries Ltd (SGX: U96) was one of several blue-chip stocks that posted a strong share price performance last year.
The utility and urban solutions provider chalked up a total return of more than 60% in 2023.
However, when it comes to the group’s dividend yield, it stood at just 2.2%.
This level of yield is lower than Singapore’s core inflation, which hovered at 3.3% in December 2023.
If you are an income investor, here are four stocks that sport a much better dividend yield than Sembcorp Industries.
United Overseas Bank Ltd (SGX: U11)
United Overseas Bank, or UOB, is the smallest of the three local banks by market capitalisation.
The lender reported a robust set of earnings for the third quarter of 2023 (3Q 2023), buoyed by the sharp surge in interest rates which benefitted its net interest income.
For the first nine months of 2023 (9M 2023), total income rose 28% year on year to S$10.5 billion on the back of a 26% year-on-year increase in net interest income.
Operating profit climbed 34% year on year to S$6.2 billion while net profit improved by 26% year on year to S$4.3 billion.
Back when the bank released its first-half results, an interim dividend of S$0.85 was paid out.
Coupled with 2022’s final dividend of S$0.75, the total trailing 12-month dividend stood at S$1.60.
Shares of UOB provide a trailing dividend yield of 5.7%.
The bank had just completed the integration of Citigroup’s (NYSE: C) consumer banking business in Indonesia in November 2023, which should benefit UOB’s franchise for 2024.
UOB gave a bright outlook for this year as it projects mid-single-digit loan growth and double-digit fee income growth.
Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX: S63)
Singapore Technologies Engineering, or STE, is a technology, defence, and engineering group with customers in the aerospace, smart city, defence, and public security segments.
The group paid out a quarterly dividend of S$0.04 per share, bringing the annualised dividend to S$0.16.
At a share price of S$3.85, the engineering group has a forward dividend yield of 4.2%.
STE reported strong revenue growth for 9M 2023, rising 12% year on year to S$7.3 billion.
All three of the group’s divisions saw year-on-year revenue growth if the US Marine business was excluded from the financial numbers.
For 9M 2023, the total contract wins amounted to S$11.7 billion, bringing STE’s order book to a high of S$27.5 billion as of 30 September 2023.
The engineering group also has capacity expansion initiatives including the opening of the second of four airframe maintenance hangars in Florida and the investment in airframe maintenance hangars in Changi Creek, Singapore.
Raffles Medical Group (SGX: BSL)
Raffles Medical Group, or RMG, is an integrated healthcare provider with a network of three hospitals and more than 100 multi-disciplinary clinics offering a wide range of medical, dental, and diagnostic services.
The group announced a strong set of earnings for 2022 and paid out a first and final dividend of S$0.038.
Shares of the healthcare provider yield 3.7% at the last done share price of S$1.02.
RMG reported a downbeat set of earnings for 9M 2023 as the discontinuation of COVID-19 activities affected the profitability of its Singapore operations.
Revenue fell by 14.7% year on year to S$532.4 million while net profit tumbled 25.6% year on year to S$72.8 million.
Despite the weak result, the healthcare group still maintained a healthy net cash balance of S$239.7 million as of 30 September 2023.
Executive Chairman Dr Loo Choon Yong says that RMG will focus on growing and expanding its patient base by tailoring healthcare solutions for its patients while improving the operating leverage of its existing businesses.
Sheng Siong Group Ltd (SGX: OV8)
Sheng Siong is one of Singapore’s largest supermarket operators with 69 outlets across the island.
The group also offers more than 1,600 products under its 23 house brands ranging from food products to paper goods.
The retailer paid out a total trailing 12-month dividend of S$0.0612, giving its shares a trailing dividend yield of 3.9%.
Sheng Siong reported a mixed set of results for 9M 2023 partly because of a high base in 2022 along with higher staff and utility costs.
Although revenue rose 2.6% year on year to S$1.04 billion, net profit dipped by 0.1% year on year to S$100.3 million.
The supermarket operator churned out a higher level of free cash flow for 9M 2023 at S$125.1 million compared with S$104.2 million in the prior year.
Looking ahead, the group seeks further growth through the continuous expansion of its store presence in Singapore.
With the HDB planning to release five more tenders for shop space in the next six months, Sheng Siong has ample opportunities to bid for them and may win some of these tenders.
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Disclosure: Royston Yang owns shares of Raffles Medical Group.
