Slowing economy and flat earnings turn banks into yield plays

(Nov 11): Amid a slowing economy, banks are being increasingly looked upon as yield plays. A Goldman Sachs report last month said real estate investment trusts had outperformed the Singapore MSCI Index by 16% so far this year, owing to the sustainability and predictability of distributions. “Banks now yield 5% (based on Goldman’s forecast for FY2020) and there is scope for up to 4% dividend per share growth annually,” the report says.