DBS, UOB and OCBC lifted Singapore’s dividend payouts to US$8.2 billion in the first half of 2025, with the three banks driving a 13.1 per cent rise in distributions, according to Capital Group data cited by The Business Times.

The increase was calculated after adjusting for currency effects and one-off payouts. DBS raised its routine quarterly dividends, while UOB and OCBC boosted overall growth with additional special dividends.

DBS shareholders received S$0.75 per share each quarter in H1, made up of S$0.60 in ordinary dividends and S$0.15 in capital return dividends, compared with S$0.54 a year earlier.

UOB paid S$0.85 per share as its interim dividend, slightly below last year’s S$0.88, but offset this with a S$0.25 special dividend.

OCBC’s interim dividend came in at S$0.41 per share, down from S$0.44, alongside a S$0.16 special dividend tied to its FY2024 results.

Capital Group noted that the three banks’ solid earnings and capital positions have enabled them to return more funds to investors through both dividends and share buybacks.

Globally, financial institutions were the largest drivers of dividend growth in H1, with core payouts climbing 9.2 per cent year on year to a record US$299 billion.

DBS was listed among the top 13 banks contributing to that increase, alongside Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ and US-based JPMorgan Chase.

Within Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, China and Hong Kong, core dividends rose 5.2 per cent to US$47.5 billion, led by contributions from Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

Worldwide, dividends reached a record US$1.14 trillion, up 6.2 per cent from the year before.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by EyeEm via Freepik