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Deadline to redeem free national flags via Shopee extended till July 29; almost 100k given out

Deadline to redeem free national flags via Shopee extended till July 29; almost 100k given out

Straits Times5 days ago
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
The initiative aims to allow more Singaporeans to proudly display the national flag at home during SG60.
SINGAPORE – Nearly 100,000 Singapore flags have been
distributed free by Shopee, with the deadline to get one extended till 11.59pm on July 29, or while stocks last.
The extension is in response to the strong public interest, the online shopping platform said in a statement on July 21.
The initiative, called Fly Our Flag, is a collaboration with the National Day Parade organisers and was to run till 11.59am on July 15, or while stocks last, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said in a statement on June 27.
To redeem the flag, go to
https://shopee.sg/ndp-2025-flyourflag , log in with Singpass and choose to have the flag delivered at a cost, or collect it from over 3,000 collection points for free.
Singaporeans are encouraged to display the national flag during the National Day celebration period between July 1 and Sept 30, MCCY said earlier.
During this period, the rules for flying and displaying the flag are relaxed. The flag may be flown without a flagpole and does not have to be illuminated at night. The flag may be displayed at offices, buildings and residential premises.
The national flag should be treated with respect and used in 'an appropriate and dignified manner', and torn or worn-out flags should not be displayed, MCCY said earlier.
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Shopee will also participate in the parade for the first time with a marching contingent, commemorating its 10th year in Singapore.
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Strong productivity gains from the country's position in key hub industries and rapid technology adoption as well as efforts to improve shareholder returns will boost ROE further, it added. All the three Singaporean banks have been growing wealth management businesses, which will continue to lift profits. Conglomerates like CapitaLand Investment and Keppel have been migrating towards asset management from asset ownership. Other companies have increased their dividend payouts and bought back their shares. DBS Bank's chief investment officer Hou Wey Fook expects Singapore equities to continue to outperform, underpinned by resilient high yields and the EQDP. Large-capitalised blue chips are set to be prime beneficiaries. These include global leaders in aviation and engineering, and household names across retail, telecommunications and healthcare. 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Its top picks for small-cap Singapore stocks that may benefit from the new mandates are ComfortDelGro, First Resources, iFast, Parkway Life Reit and StarHub. ComfortDelGro, a diversified transportation provider with Singapore taxi and public transport operations as well as international bus and rail ones, could reap maiden contributions in 2025 from its acquisitions. With a dividend yield of 6 per cent to 7 per cent, the stock is attractive relative to its valuation and earnings growth. First Resources is an Indonesian palm oil producer, and 'the cheapest planter' in Macquarie's coverage. With earnings projected to grow 25 per cent in 2025 over the previous year, it offers the highest earnings growth potential compared with the sector's average at 4 per cent. iFast is a global digital banking and wealth management platform, which Macquarie rates as an 'outperformer' with a price target of $8.70 a share. The stock is trading below $8. The research team calls it 'a rare high-growth name on the Singapore market', underpinned by its dominant position in the business-to-business wealth platform space, as well as fintech operations in digital banking and e-pension administration. Parkway Life Reit, which manages healthcare and senior living properties, is favoured for its 'impeccable track record of steady growth' since IPO without the need to raise funds. It has limited downside risk with the interest rate and foreign exchange hedged until 2029. The research team expects a big jump in the Reit's Singapore rental growth in 2026 once upgrading works at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Orchard are completed. Potential growth is seen in the Reit's maiden acquisition of 11 nursing homes in France. StarHub could grab more consumer mobile market share in 2025, and boost its service revenue, Macquarie said. The telco is on a lookout for mergers and acquisitions, which will position it well during a consolidation. Among the large-cap stocks, Macquarie's top picks are OCBC, Sembcorp Industries, ST Engineering, CapitaLand Ascendas Reit, DFI Retail and Keppel DC Reit, which was included in the STI in June. Local brokerage and research house UOB KayHian's list of potential beneficiaries includes Centurion, which owns, develops and manages worker and student accommodations; NetLink Trust, which operates the passive fibre network infrastructure of Singapore's Nationwide Broadband Network; Raffles Medical; supermarket operator Sheng Siong; Jardine Cycle & Carriage; Olam; CapitaLand India Trust; Keppel Infrastructure Trust and SIA Engineering. Maybank Securities' research head Thilan Wickramasinghe believes small and mid-cap companies with stronger corporate governance credentials are likely to attract more investments. Couple this with trading liquidity, growth and balance sheet strength, 18 companies stood out for Maybank Securities: AEM Holdings, Nanofilm Technologies, Centurion, UMS Integration, CSE Global, Frencken Group, ComfortDelGro, First Resources, SingPost, Golden Agri-Resources, Sheng Siong, Sats, iFast, Yangzijiang Financial, SIA Engineering, Food Empire, StarHub and Riverstone Holdings. While the Government's reforms are ambitious, bear in mind that the liquidity gaps in the small and mid-cap segment will not close overnight. Global funds may be slow to increase Singapore allocations given persistent worldwide uncertainty and limited index weightings. The effectiveness of tax incentives and regulatory changes will depend on sustained execution and market buy-in.

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