Top 10 Investments added by FSM Global investors in 3Q2026: Home Ground Advantage

If the first quarter of 2026 was a quarter of two halves, the third quarter was a test of nerves – a sharp chip selloff, a flare-up in the Middle East and the first US rate hike in three years all landed within the same three months. Yet for many investors, some of the best opportunities turned out to be right at home.

The quarter got off to a rocky start. After a blistering first half, AI and semiconductor stocks went into reverse in July. South Korea, home to memory chip giants Samsung and SK Hynix, bore the brunt of the selloff and tumbled close to 18% in July alone.

At the same time, the Middle East was back in the headlines. Renewed clashes in July undid June's US-Iran understanding, and attacks on Gulf shipping sent oil prices back to around US$100 per barrel. With inflation fears rekindled, the US Federal Reserve raised rates by 25 basis points in September to 3.75% – 4.00% – its first hike since 2023 – while the 10-year US Treasury yield climbed above 5.2%, its highest level since before the Global Financial Crisis.

Bonds had their weakest quarter in three years as yields surged. Equities, on the other hand, proved surprisingly resilient. The S&P 500 set a fresh record high in August, while Singapore was one of the strongest markets globally, with DBS and OCBC both hitting all-time highs on the back of record earnings.

Most Popular Unit Trusts in 3Q2026

In case you are following this quarterly update for the first time, short-duration bond and money market funds are excluded in the top 10 rankings.

Income funds continued to dominate the list in 3Q2026. JPMorgan Investment Funds - Global Income A (icdiv) SGD-H climbed to the top spot, joined by PIMCO Income Fund Admin Cl Inc SGD-H (3^rd), Allianz Income and Growth Cl AMi3 DIS H2-SGD (4^th) and newcomer Schroder Multi-Asset Revolution A Dis SGD (5^th). With equities swinging sharply and bond yields climbing to multi-decade highs, multi-asset income funds offered investors a smoother ride and a steady stream of payouts. Higher starting yields also bode well for the income these portfolios can generate going forward.

Gold remained a firm favourite, with two share classes of the same fund making the top 10 – Schroder ISF Global Gold A Acc SGD-H (2^nd) and Schroder ISF Global Gold A Acc USD (9^th). Gold prices climbed in late August as geopolitical tensions flared, before giving back some of their gains after the Fed's hawkish turn. As a gold mining fund, it tends to amplify moves in the gold price – in both directions – as miners' profits are geared to the price of the metal.

Home market conviction was a clear theme this quarter. Amova Singapore Dividend Equity SGD (6^th) held on to its place, while newcomer iFAST-Amova Singapore Equity A SGD (7^th) made its debut on the list. With the local banks reporting record profits and Singapore among the best-performing markets globally, investors were keen to ride the momentum through a diversified fund.

Despite South Korea's sharp correction in July, LionGlobal Korea Fund SGD (8^th) stayed on the list as investors bought the dip – Korean equities remain one of the best-performing markets year-to-date on the back of the memory chip boom. Over in Japan, Amova Japan Dividend Equity SGD-H (10^th) benefitted from Japan being the strongest major market in 3Q2026. The SGD-hedged share class also shielded investors from a volatile yen, which slid to its weakest level against the US dollar since 1986 before a joint US-Japan intervention.

Table 1: Top 10 Most Popular Unit Trusts

Most Popular ETFs in 3Q2026

Leveraged products took the top two spots in 3Q2026. Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X (1^st) climbed to the top as tactical traders looked to buy the dip during July's semiconductor selloff, while newcomer CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index Daily (2x) Leveraged Product (2^nd) gave traders a geared bet on a rebound in Chinese tech. Do note that leveraged products reset daily and are designed for short-term trading – over longer holding periods, their returns can differ significantly from the stated multiple of the underlying index.

Roundhill Memory ETF (4^th) was another newcomer riding the memory chip super cycle. With SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron making up roughly three-quarters of the portfolio, the ETF has been one of the fastest-growing ETF launches on record since its debut in April, as AI data centres drive unprecedented demand for memory.

Lion-OCBC Hang Seng TECH ETF (5^th) remained a popular unleveraged way to gain exposure to Chinese tech giants such as Tencent, Alibaba and Xiaomi, with sentiment buoyed by China's AI ambitions and a growing pipeline of AI listings in Hong Kong.

Home market conviction showed up in the ETF list too. SPDR STI ETF (3^rd) and newcomer Amova STI SGD ETF (9^th) both track the Straits Times Index (STI), which was one of the top-performing markets in 3Q2026 as the local banks powered to record highs. Amova-StraitsTrading Asia ex Japan REIT ETF (7^th) and Lion-Phillip S-REIT ETF (8^th) also stayed on the list. While rising interest rates are typically a headwind for REITs, income-seeking investors continued to see value in their regular distributions.

Newcomer Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (6^th) provides exposure to thousands of companies across developed and emerging markets in a single, low-cost ETF – a sensible core holding for investors who prefer not to bet on any one market in a volatile quarter. As an Ireland-domiciled fund, it also benefits from a lower withholding tax on US dividends compared to US-listed ETFs. Rounding out the list, Amova SGD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (10^th) offered a low-cost, diversified way for investors to lock in higher yields from investment-grade SGD corporate bonds.

Table 2: Top 10 Most Popular ETFs

Most Popular Stocks in 3Q2026

The Singapore bank trio once again took centre stage, with DBS Group Holdings Ltd (1^st), Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd (2^nd) and United Overseas Bank Ltd (4^th) all in the top 5. DBS posted a record 2Q2026 net profit of S$3.08 billion and kept up its S$0.15 quarterly capital return dividend, while OCBC's quarterly net profit crossed S$2 billion for the first time – sending its share price above S$30 for the first time too. UOB was the laggard of the three, slipping after its results as net interest margins compressed, but its 50% payout ratio and ongoing S$2 billion capital return programme kept income investors interested.

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd (3^rd) continued its strong run from 1Q2026 after reporting a record 1H2026 net profit of RMB5.4 billion, up 28.4% year-on-year. With an order book of US$22.4 billion providing revenue visibility through 2029, the shipbuilder remains a firm favourite among investors.

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (5^th) and CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (8^th) retained their places as defensive income plays, with both also offering exposure to the structural growth in data centres.

July's semiconductor selloff gave investors an opportunity to accumulate AI beneficiaries at lower prices. Micron Technology Inc (6^th) held on to its place on the list as the memory super cycle rolled on, while two Singapore semiconductor names made their debut – chip tester AEM Holdings Ltd (7^th) and semiconductor equipment component maker UMS Integration Ltd (10^th). Both have been among the best-performing SGX stocks in 2026, with AEM raising its FY2026 revenue guidance to S$550–600 million on the back of a production ramp at a key AI customer. That said, valuations for both are well above their historical averages, so investors should be prepared for volatility.

Tesla Inc (9^th) rounds out the list as a perennial favourite among retail investors, with sentiment driven as much by its robotaxi and robotics ambitions as by its car sales.

Table 3: Top 10 Most Popular Stocks

Most Popular Bonds in 3Q2026

Bond investors took a barbell approach in 3Q2026 – pairing high-quality SGD bonds on one end with high-yield USD bonds on the other. With yields at multi-decade highs, it was an opportune quarter to lock in attractive coupons.

On the quality end, OCBCSP 3.200% Perpetual Corp (SGD) (1^st) topped the list. The S$750 million perpetual, first callable in 2031, offered a familiar blue-chip name in a quarter where OCBC was making headlines for its record earnings, while BNP 4.250% Perpetual Corp (SGD) (9^th) offered a meaningful yield pickup from one of Europe's largest banks. Among the fixed-maturity bonds, HDBSP 2.839% 26Aug2041 Qsov (SGD) (7^th) and TEMASE 2.650% 11Aug2036 Qsov (SGD) (10^th) offered near-sovereign quality for conservative investors, with the 15-year HDB bond appealing to those looking to lock in yields for the long haul. TD 3.125% 05Aug2036 Corp (SGD) (8^th) gave investors access to one of Canada's largest banks in SGD, while CENSP 4.000% 01Sep2031 Corp (SGD) (4^th) – Centurion's S$200 million sustainability notes, which were oversubscribed and upsized – offered a higher coupon from a worker and student accommodation operator with high occupancy rates.

On the higher-yielding end, four USD high-yield bonds made the list. GTE 9.750% 15Apr2031 Corp (USD) (2^nd), issued by oil and gas producer Gran Tierra Energy, stood to benefit from oil prices climbing back to around US$100 per barrel. UIS 10.625% 15Jan2031 Corp (USD) (3^rd) from US IT services company Unisys, GLPSP 9.750% 20May2028 Corp (USD) (5^th) from logistics real estate firm GLP, and FTLNHD 11.800% 09Mar2029 Corp (USD) (6^th) – the highest coupon on the list – rounded out the high-yield picks. Do note that high-yield bonds come with higher credit risk and are best held as a smaller satellite position within a diversified portfolio.

Table 4: Top 10 Most Popular Bonds

With oil prices elevated, the Fed signalling one more rate hike this year and the AI trade prone to sharp swings, markets will likely remain volatile in the near term. Hence, it is more prudent to invest via a dollar cost averaging (DCA) method into a globally diversified portfolio instead of trying to time the market. As strong advocates of DCA, we ensure this method of investing is accessible to investors with 0% processing fees for Regular Savings Plans (RSP) on unit trusts, ETFs and our managed portfolios.

Keen to know how to craft a globally diversified portfolio that requires minimal monitoring? Feel free to reach out to our friendly and professional advisory team at advisory@fundsupermart.com.