Singapore’s state funding firm Temasek recorded in 2023 its worst returns in seven years, weighed by a difficult macroeconomic and geopolitical atmosphere.
Temasek posted a 5.07% decline in its one-year whole shareholder return in Singapore {dollars} within the monetary yr that ended March 31, in keeping with an announcement launched Tuesday. It was additionally Temasek’s first annual shareholder unfavorable return since 2020.
Internet portfolio worth got here in at $382 billion Singapore {dollars} ($284.77 billion), in comparison with S$403 billion a yr in the past. This was simply its fifth one-year whole shareholder unfavorable return since 2003.
“2022 has been the difficult yr for markets over the past decade,” stated Lim Boon Heng, Chairman of Temasek Holdings within the assertion. “In opposition to a backdrop of restrictive macro coverage, decrease progress and a extremely polarized geopolitical atmosphere, the world is altering quickly.”
Nonetheless, Temasek’s decline in annual shareholder return in 2022/23 compares comparatively favorably with international inventory market returns.
Temasek Holdings posted a 5.07% decline in its one-year whole shareholder return in Singapore {dollars} within the monetary yr that ended March 31, 2023, in keeping with an announcement launched Tuesday. Internet portfolio worth got here in at S$382 billion, in comparison with S$403 billion a yr in the past. This was simply its fifth one-year whole shareholder unfavorable return since 2003.
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The S&P 500 and MSCI Asia ex-Japan benchmarks every plunged practically 20% in 2022, roiled by sticky inflation regardless of a number of charge hikes by central banks. Intensifying geopolitical tensions similar to U.S.-China tensions and the Russia-Ukraine conflict didn’t assist.
The Singapore state investor is invested in each private and non-private markets. Unlisted property comprised 53% of its portfolio as at March 31— producing increased returns in listed property. Marking its unlisted portfolio to market would offer S$18 billion of worth uplift, it stated.
Its three-year whole shareholder return stood at 8%, whereas its 10-year return was at 6% and 20-year return at 9%.
Portfolio changes
The confluence of a number of international occasions prior to now yr has raised the price of capital and weighed on capital flows, the Singapore state investor stated.
“It additionally had an affect on the tempo of power transition, within the face of higher demand for power safety and resilience,” it added.
Temasek stated its international direct investments, notably within the know-how, well being care and funds areas, noticed “a reversal of positive aspects” within the 12 months ending March 31, as valuations de-rated within the increased rate of interest atmosphere.
Temasek stated it consequently slowed down its funding tempo prior to now yr, and adopted a cautious method as liquidity tightened. It invested $23 billion, whereas divesting $20 billion, leading to a internet funding of $3 billion.
Nonetheless, Temasek stated it made new investments in funds platform, Stripe, in addition to IT safety supplier Kaseya. That funding in flip enabled its acquisition of Datto, a supplier of safety and cloud-based software program options.
Temasek stated it elevated its stake in Mastronardi, a Canada-based firm that cultivates and distributes recent produce grown in greenhouses.
The Singapore’s state investor stated it trimmed its portfolio publicity to monetary companies to 21% in 2022/23 from 23% the yr earlier than, It additionally elevated its publicity to transportation and industrials to 23% from 22%. These two sectors are the biggest in its funding portfolio.
Early stage investments are capped at 6% of its portfolio, Temasek stated.