OCBC Securities sees 60% spike in trades by young investors, expects tailwinds from upcoming board lot reforms

At a glance

• Active investors aged 30 and below rose more than 20% YoY, while total trades by young investors increased by nearly 60% YoY as at 30 September 2026.
• Strong performance in Singapore equities has fuelled growing participation among young investors, with further momentum expected from upcoming SGX board lot reforms.
• OCBC Securities will permanently remove minimum commissions on SGX online trades from 5 October 2026, making investing more affordable and accessible.

Singapore, 1 October 2026 – OCBC Securities has recorded a sharp rise in participation among its younger customers. As at 30 September 2026, active young investors 30 years old and younger – those who have traded in either the Singapore or overseas markets at least once in the last 6 months – rose more than 20% year-on-year (YoY), outpacing growth across the bank’s wider investor base. The total number of trades made by these young investors increased by close to 60% YoY.

The strong performance in Singapore equities has contributed to this trend and the momentum is expected to continue. From 5 October 2026, Singapore equities will become even more accessible with SGX’s reduction of board lot size from 100 units to 10 units for instruments priced above S$10, and from 100 units to 1 unit for instruments priced above S$100. The initial reduction will take place for 11 stocks priced above S$10.

In line with this, OCBC Securities will permanently remove minimum commissions for all online trades on SGX from 5 October, further reducing the capital required to participate in the Singapore stock market. More than 95% of OCBC Securities’ young investors trade exclusively online.

This is a boon particularly for young investors who tend to have less capital. OCBC Securities data shows that its young investors prefer to build their portfolios progressively rather than wait until they have accumulated a larger sum of money. This means that they trade more frequently, making affordability and lower transaction costs important considerations.

The data also shows that OCBC Securities' young investors prefer more affordable counters. For the Singapore market, out of the top 10 traded shares by young investors year-to-date, 7 were under $10, with the other three being the local banks.

Wilson He, Managing Director, OCBC Securities, said, “This year’s market performance has clearly caught young investors’ attention, and it’s encouraging to see that interest translate into participation. Younger investors have historically traded in smaller amounts and are overwhelmingly digital, making the upcoming changes to the board lot size particularly relevant to them. Our permanent removal of minimum commission on SGX online trades gives them even more flexibility to trade in smaller amounts.

“Besides young investors, the removal of minimum commission for online trades and smaller board lot sizes benefits other segments too. For clients holding odd lots – often accumulated through scrip dividend schemes, where dividends are paid in shares rather than cash – these holdings will be easier to sell. Roughly a quarter of our clients’ Singapore share holdings are currently held in odd lots.”