Temasek wary of new investments
Temasek Holdings reported a record portfolio value in 2016 as rallying global stocks helped rake in positive returns, but Singapore’s state investor also nearly halved its new investments, reflecting a cautious approach to markets.
Temasek Holdings reported a record portfolio value in 2016 as rallying global stocks helped rake in positive returns, but Singapore’s state investor also nearly halved its new investments, reflecting a cautious approach to markets.
Temasek joined bigger state fund GIC and Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment in flagging competition from global funds for deals, which is pushing up valuations and threatening to drag down returns.
“Looking ahead, we remain cautiously positive on global growth. But we are also cognisant of risks in valuations, liquidity and politics,” Michael Buchanan, Temasek’s head of strategy, said on Tuesday.
Temasek’s assets rose 14% to S$275bn ($199bn) in the yearended March, after falling 9% a year ago. Its long-held investments in financials such as China Construction Bank, DBS Group and Standard Chartered paid off in 2016 as equity markets surged. Temasek’s oneyear total shareholder return swung to 13.4% from a negative 9% for the prior year.
However, given “the valuation consideration as well as perhaps more competition for transactions, we reduced our pace of investments a fair bit”, said Chia Song Hwee, joint head of Temasek’s investment group.
The company invested S$16bn in the financial year versus S$30bn in each of the past two years and divested S$18bn, resulting in a net divestment position for the first time since the year to March 2009.
Its investments are mostly in equities and it is the top investor in a third of companies in Singapore’s benchmark index. The city-state and China represent the largest share in Temasek’s portfolio by underlying exposure. Under CEO Ho Ching, the wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Temasek has expanded to become a global investor.
In the past few years, it has poured cash into sectors such as technology, life sciences and healthcare.