SG Morning Highlights: SGTI 2022 shows more S-Reits reporting non-financial metrics

Advancers / Decliners is 78 to 77, with 99.64 million securities worth S$87.86 million changing hands.

As consumers, many of us are aware that packaging makes up a significant portion of the waste we produce and that, while our attitudes and behaviours play a part, the options available to us – in terms of the type of packaging and recycling options available – are also important.

In Singapore, efforts are continually being made to reduce packaging waste and to transform practices into more sustainable ones. The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) found that, in 2021, the country generated a total of 6.94 million tonnes of solid waste.

Of this, 1.82 million tonnes consisted of domestic waste, which had to be incinerated. This contributed to over 11 million kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (KgCO2e), which the SEC said is equivalent to the emissions from a dumpster truck driving around the circumference of the Earth 352 times.

S-REITs and business trusts see an improvement in their Singapore Governance and Transparency Index (SGTI) 2022 scores, increasing marginally to 85.3 points from 85.0 last year.

From London to Hong Kong, large initial share sales have all but dried up across the world's major financial centres this year. But the market in China is bustling with activity.

Initial public offerings (IPOs) on mainland exchanges have climbed to US$57.8 billion so far in 2022, the largest ever for such a period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. There have been 5 IPOs of above US$1 billion since January this year, and 1 more is on the way. That's versus just one such sale each in New York and Hong Kong, and none in London.

China's IPO market has defied headwinds such as rising interest rates and fears of a US recession, which have brought major equity fundraising elsewhere to a virtual standstill. Offerings in the Asian economy - whose monetary policy is diverging from the US Federal Reserve - are largely geared towards local investors.

The annualised return on equity rose to 14 per cent in H1 2022 from 9 per cent in H1 2021.

These figures, released by the group on Sunday (Aug 7), exclude earnings from investment segment, which was spun off to Yangzijiang Financial Holding in April.

EMK is an integrated waste management services player in South Korea, serving the national market. It operates 6 waste-to-energy (WTE) plants and 5 sludge drying facilities.

Revenue for the 6-month period rose 13 per cent to S$158.9 million — driven mainly by increased construction activities and sales of its Van Holland private residential project in Singapore, the group said on Saturday (Aug 6).

The group saw a 18 per cent increase in other gains to S$7.9 million in H1 2022, mainly due to higher gain recognised from the disposal of property, plant and equipment, and partially offset by lower fair value gain from investment properties.