On 5 October this year, blue-chip stocks will become more affordable for retail investors with smaller capital.
The reason?
That’s when the standard board lot size for pricier stocks – those priced above S$10 and up to S$100 – will be reduced to just 10 units, from the original 100 units.
The implications?
Eleven stocks will drop to smaller trading units, lowering the barriers to entry.
Younger investors with small capital outlays can embark on their investing journey earlier, with a longer compounding runway.
Still, it pays to be discerning when deciding what to buy, even for blue-chip stocks.
Here are three from different sectors that you could consider.
DBS Group Holdings (SGX: D05) – The Banking and Wealth Titan
Still thinking Singapore stocks are boring? You might want to think again.
With DBS surpassing S$200 billion in market capitalisation for the first time, this could mark the start of a major flexing of the small city-state’s financial muscles.
While the interest rate outlook might be uncertain, DBS’s resilience isn’t.
The bank’s foresight to strategically complement its rate-driven income with wealth management is paying off amid the current rate uncertainty headwinds.
In its second quarter ended 30 June 2026 (2Q2026), total income rose 6% year on year (YoY) to a record S$6.09 billion, while net profit climbed 9% to S$3.08 billion, driven by fee income growth, treasury customer sales, and markets trading.
While its banking peers like UOB Limited (SGX: U11) and OCBC Limited (SGX: O39) are great, DBS, with its comparatively superior net interest margin (NIM) and return on equity (ROE), is even better.
To sweeten the deal for income investors, its track record of dividend growth is unmistakable, having increased its total 2Q2026 dividends by 8% YoY to S$0.81 per share (comprising $0.66 ordinary dividend plus $0.15 capital return dividend).
At the share price of S$75.08 (as of 6 August 2026), investors can own a lot of 10 shares at a total of S$750.80 instead of $7,508.
Keppel Ltd (SGX: BN4) – The Asset-Light Transformer
From its beginnings as a rig builder, it divested its offshore and marine operating business in 2023 and continues to wind down the remaining legacy assets.
Today, it’s a global asset manager and operator focused on energy transition, urbanisation, and digital connectivity.
Crucially, as Keppel captures demand for power and digital infrastructure amid the artificial intelligence (AI) wave, it focuses on co-investing rather than full ownership – a model that helped push its funds under management to S$106 billion as at 30 July 2026, surpassing its end-2026 target ahead of schedule.
For the first half of 2026 (1H2026), revenue rose 24.6% YoY to S$3.8 billion, led by a 27% gain in its Infrastructure segment to S$2.5 billion and growth in Connectivity.
While net profit attributable to shareholders fell 59% to S$154.7 million due to a S$375 million loss in the non-core portfolio, net profit excluding that portfolio climbed 25% YoY to S$530 million.
Operating cash flow stood at S$96.8 million, but free cash inflow reached S$570 million, driven largely by S$1.1 billion of divestment proceeds and dividends received.
Shareholders were rewarded, with management declaring an interim dividend of S$0.15 per share, unchanged from a year ago.
As of 6 August 2026, a 10-share lot costs S$111.60 based on the S$11.16 share price, lowering the minimum outlay from S$1,116.
Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX: S68), or SGX – The “Picks and Shovels” Monopoly
SGX enjoys a regulatory moat as Singapore’s sole exchange operator.
And with the government stepping up to revitalise the local stock market through the Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP), the bourse wins by simply collecting higher trading and clearing charges.
For investors, its operating model as a financial toll booth, protected by a regulatory moat, makes it one of the most important “picks and shovels” plays amid the tailwind of structurally rising market liquidity.
For the full year ended 30 June 2026 (FY2026), its net revenue climbed 13.9% to S$1.48 billion, driving adjusted earnings up 24.6% to S$0.710 per share (adjusted net profit of S$759.5 million), led by its Equities-Cash segment that benefits from Equities Market Review Group (EMRG) initiated reforms such as the EQDP.
These reforms coincided with a marked pickup in listings: SGX recorded 21 new equity listings in FY2026 raising S$4.1 billion, against just six listings raising S$25.7 million a year earlier.
Crucially, shareholders are not forgotten, as the Board proposed a final quarterly dividend of S$0.115 and a one-off additional dividend of S$0.125, lifting total FY2026 dividends to S$0.57 per share (a 52% increase YoY) alongside management’s commitment to increasing quarterly dividends through FY2028.
With the stock priced at S$24.32 as of 6 August 2026, investors can buy a lot of just 10 shares for S$243.20, making it far more accessible than a full S$2,432 investment.
Get Smart: Smaller Lot Sizes, Bigger Doors Opened
For the longest time, quality blue chips’ steeper price tag turned away small-account retail investors like an exclusive nightclub bouncer who only lets in deep-pocketed patrons.
Come 5 October this year, the playing field will be levelled for these retail investors.
For just slightly over S$1,000, one can begin their investing journey much earlier in high-quality, blue-chip counters, ten shares at a time, with compounding doing the heavy lifting of wealth creation.
With barriers to entry reduced, potentially lengthening the compounding runway, the market has opened its doors.
It’s now up to the new slate of small-account investors to walk through them.
Split S$100,000 across the right handful of Singapore dividend stocks, and you can end up with payouts landing in your account across different months of the year, almost like a paycheque. Our private webinar walks you through exactly how to structure that. Seats are limited. Register here now.
This could be the fastest way to jump from a “newbie” investor to a seasoned pro. Our beginner’s guide shows everything you need to know to buy your first stock and beyond. Click here to download it for free today.
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Disclosure: Larry L. owns shares of DBS, UOB, and OCBC.
