Institutional investors operate with significant capital.
When they start buying, retail investors tend to notice.
In the first eight trading sessions of April 2026, SGX data shows that net institutional inflow has been concentrated in Industrials, Technology, and Utilities.
While blue chips typically dominate these flows, several small-cap companies – those with market capitalisations under S$1 billion – are also seeing notable institutional support.
Three companies stand out in the current landscape: Oiltek International (SGX: HQU), Nanofilm Technologies (SGX: MZH), and Q&M Dental Group (SGX: QC7).
Each of these firms reported improved FY2025 results and has delivered double-digit total returns in April alone.
But as always, the real question for dividend investors isn’t whether big money is buying — it’s whether the underlying cash flow can support the dividend.
Oiltek International (SGX: HQU)
Oiltek has emerged as a top performer, recording S$5.9 million in net institutional inflow in April.
This interest coincided with a 59% month-to-date total return and a staggering 206% gain since the beginning of the year.
The company’s fundamentals support this price action.
Despite an 8.2% decline in FY2025 revenue to RM211.4 million, net profit grew by 7.9% year on year (YoY) to RM32.0 million.
This growth was driven by a significant expansion in gross margins, which rose from 23.9% to 32.5%.
Crucially, free cash flow swung from a negative RM12.4 million in the previous year to a positive RM14.0 million.
This cash generation, supported by a debt-free balance sheet with RM99.7 million in cash, allowed the board to raise the total FY2025 dividend by 33.3% to S$0.012 per share.
With an order book of RM312.8 million to be fulfilled over the next 18 to 24 months, the outlook remains stable, provided that geopolitical tensions do not delay customer capital expenditure.
Nanofilm Technologies (SGX: MZH)
Nanofilm attracted S$9.2 million in net institutional inflow and delivered a 31% month-to-date return.
The company is currently in a recovery phase, with FY2025 revenue rising 19.7% YoY to S$244.6 million, while profit attributable to equity holders surged 52.4% to S$11.8 million.
This growth was led by the Advanced Materials division, which benefited from increased demand in consumer electronics and automotive sectors.
Consequently, the total dividend was increased by 81.8% to S$0.012 per share.
However, Nanofilm recorded a negative free cash flow of S$14.5 million in FY2025.
While this is an improvement from the S$28.9 million burn in the prior year, it indicates that the current dividend is being funded by the balance sheet rather than operational cash flow.
Management expects higher profits and better cash flow moving forward, but the sustainability of the payout depends on the company successfully turning cash-flow positive.
Q&M Dental Group (SGX: QC7)
Q&M Dental saw S$8.4 million in net institutional inflow and a 12% return for the month.
Revenue grew 9% YoY to S$197.2 million in FY2025, supported by its expanding network of 110 outlets in Singapore and a growing presence in Malaysia and China.
While core dental profits grew by 16%, the headline profit attributable to owners fell 35% to S$9.3 million.
This decline was largely due to S$2.4 million in interest costs stemming from the S$130 million in medium-term notes issued in mid-2025.
The total dividend was reduced by 25.5% to S$0.0082 per share, signalling a shift in management’s priority towards servicing debt and funding regional expansion.
Although free cash flow remained stable at S$31.9 million, the increased debt load introduces a new layer of financial commitment that investors must monitor.
Get Smart: Following the money is a useful signal, but it isn’t a complete investment thesis.
These three stocks show that “big money” flows can represent very different underlying business conditions.
Oiltek offers a combination of net cash and positive free cash flow, whereas Nanofilm is a recovery play still working towards cash-flow self-sufficiency.
Q&M Dental, meanwhile, is prioritising aggressive growth and network expansion at the expense of a higher immediate payout.
The primary lesson for any dividend investor is to verify that a company’s operational cash flow is sufficient to cover its distributions before following institutional trends.
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Disclosure: Calvina L. does not own any of the stocks mentioned. Chin Hui Leong contributed to the article and owns shares of Q&M Dental.
