DBS, OCBC, UOB rout lops billions from STI as inflation, rate concerns spook investors

Asian markets continued to track Wall Street's decline on Thursday (Oct 8) due to rising interest rates and increasing oil market pressure. The Straits Times Index (STI) fell almost 2.2% to 5,487.65, with banking stocks leading the decline. DBS lost 3.2% to S$74.98, UOB dropped 4.8% to S$40.39, and OCBC fell 4.2% to S$29.02. In Malaysia, the KLCI decreased by 0.5%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 0.2%.

Japan's Nikkei 225 decreased by 0.7%, and the broader Topix lost 1.5%. South Korea's Kospi also saw a 0.3% decline. US markets closed lower on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling 0.22%, and the Dow declining 0.66%. Market strategist James Ooi from Tiger Brokers noted that the oil and bond markets continued to weigh on sentiment, as high oil prices kept inflation concerns in focus, and investors remained sensitive to long-term bond supply and broader global bond market weakness.

Higher interest rates can benefit banks by increasing yields on loans and newly deployed assets, but they also raise costs for banks to secure funding through deposits and other means. The upcoming earnings season in about a month will provide more clarity on whether these concerns are reflected in the banks' financials. Ooi added that the assumption that higher Singapore dollar interest rates are positive for banks may be reconsidered, as higher rates can increase funding costs for banks, potentially impacting their net interest margins.