SGX Lowers Minimum Lot Size from 1,000 to 100 Shares Today

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has reduced its standard board lot size of securities from 1,000 to 100 units starting today. This means investors now only need to invest in minimum lots of 100 shares, putting many expensive blue-chip stocks within reach for normal retail investors.

For example, at over $23 a share, investors would have had to stump up $23,000 just to purchase one lot of United Overseas Bank shares (SGX: U11) before. Now the minimum investment sum is a more accessible $2,300.

What This Means for Investors

• Rather than speculating in riskier penny stocks, investors now have safer blue-chip options to include in their stock portfolio
• Young investors who typically have less capital can now afford a wider range of stocks than previously available
• The lower minimum lot size will improve liquidity and trading volumes for the overall market
• Investors with odd lots (less than 1,000 shares) previously can now trade them in the regular market instead of the odd lot market, where share prices are traded at a discount. Odd lots are now reduced to 99 shares and below

Magnus Bocker, CEO of SGX, said: “The reduced board lot size will benefit all investors and make it easier to invest in blue chips and index component stocks which tend to be higher-priced. It will also allow institutional investors to better manage their risk exposures through finer asset allocation of funds.”

Photo: Jonathan Choe