The top 10 dividend-paying ETFs on SGX with the highest yields

Business Times

10 hours ago

[SINGAPORE] Dividends are what is regularly top of mind for investors in Singapore when deciding where to place their bets.
In the past couple of years, investors had been piling into T-bills with higher yields amid higher rates.
However, as yields fall in recent times, what other direction can investors take?
Instruments such as yield-focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) stay popular, with several listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) offering dividend yields ranging from 5 to 7 per cent. For reference, the Straits Times Index delivers a yield that hovers around 4 per cent.
According to SGX data, various real estate investment trust (Reit) ETFs took the spotlight, occupying half of the number of positions in the list of top 10 dividend-paying ETFs.
These are the top 10 SGX-listed ETFs with the highest level of dividend yields as at June 2025:
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
1. iShares USD Asia High Yield Bond Index ETF
The ETF which tracks the Bloomberg Asia US Dollar High Yield Diversified Credit Index has a 7.4 per cent dividend yield level. It was the fifth top traded ETF in H1, recording over S$1.4 million in average daily volume.
The fund holds fixed-rate US Dollar-dominated government-related and corporate high yield debt of the Asia ex-Japan region with maturities over one year. It draws investors who are interested in exposure to higher-yielding bonds across the Asia-Pacific region, with indexing, diversified holdings, and a focus on credit risk.
2. CSOP iEdge S-Reit Leaders Index ETF
The CSOP iEdge S-Reit Leaders Index ETF is next with a dividend yield level of 5.98 per cent. It has the highest dividend yield among the five SGX-listed Reit ETFs.
The ETF tracks the iEdge S-Reit Leaders Index, and was launched on the SGX on Nov 18, 2021. As a sub-fund of the CSOP SG ETF Series I, it provides exposure to different leading Reits in Singapore.
Notably, it has a 10.2 per cent exposure in CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), 10.1 per cent in Keppel DC Reit, and about 9 per cent in Mapletree Commercial Trust, data from FSMOne indicated on Tuesday (Aug 19).
3. NikkoAM-StraitsTrading Asia ex Japan Reit ETF
The ETF has a dividend yield of 5.8 per cent, and tracks the FTSE EPRA Nareit Asia ex Japan Reits Index. It recorded the third highest amount of inflows among SGX-listed ETFs in H1 at S$104 million.
The NikkoAM-Straits Trading Asia ex Japan Reit ETF offers exposure to different Reits and properties in Asia such as retail malls, industrial properties and hotels. It has a 9.7 per cent in the largest Reit in Asia – Hong Kong's Link Reit – and an approximate 10 per cent exposure in CapitaLand Ascendas Reit and CICT each.
4. Lion-Phillip S-Reit ETF
The Lion-Phillip S-Reit ETF offers a dividend yield 5.8 per cent while it tracks the Morningstar Singapore Reit Yield Focus Index. It was the fourth most traded ETF on SGX in H1, with an average daily volume of nearly S$1.6 million; and came in sixth place by net inflows at S$70 million for the period.
It has a 9.8 per cent exposure to Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust, 9.5 per cent in Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust, and about 4.5 per cent in Keppel Reit.
5. Lion-OCBC Securities SG Low Carbon Index ETF
With a dividend yield of 5.7 per cent, the ETF's benchmark index is the iEdge-OCBC Singapore Low Carbon Select 40 Capped Index. The 40 companies have a focus on index decarbonisation, and are incorporated or domiciled in Singapore.
Of these constituents, 32 are Singapore-listed counters. A majority are STI constituents, though there 13 non-STI names such as iFast and Sheng Siong.
It recorded a three-year total return of 31.6 per cent, as the best performing Singapore equity ETF over the period, as at April 2025. The strongest performing stocks across the same period were stocks such as Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, ST Engineering, Keppel, DBS, SGX, OCBC, and Singtel.
6. Lion-OCBC Securities Apac Financials Dividend Plus ETF
The ETF has a 5.6 per cent dividend yield, and tracks the 30 largest financial institutions listed in Apac via the iEdge Apac Financials Dividend Plus Index.
It was the fifth best performing ETF in H1 according to SGX data, recording 9.9 per cent returns for the period. Listed on the local bourse on May 13, 2024, it is the world's first Apac Financials sector ETF.
7. SDPR STI ETF
SPDR's STI ETF reports a 4.4 per cent dividend yield as the largest Singapore equity ETF.
It is the first locally created ETF to allow investors to access the top 30 companies in Singapore. The fund's top holdings are in the trio of local banks – with an exposure in DBS of around 25.8 per cent, followed by OCBC at 14 per cent and UOB at 11.1 per cent. Other counters in its top 10 are Jardine Matheson Holdings, Singtel and Keppel.
8. iShares JPMorgan USD Asia Credit Bond ETF
With a dividend level of 4.3 per cent, the iShares JPMorgan USD Asia Credit Bond ETF seeks to track the investment results of US Dollar-denominated Asian bonds excluding Japan via the JPMorgan Asia Credit Core Index.
The weighted average maturity level of the portfolio of 255 holdings sits at 7.3 years as at Aug 15, according to Blackrock data.
Top issuers of the holdings are from the Philippines and Indonesia, with Malaysia's Petronas Capital occupying 4.2 per cent of the ETF's weightage, and Standard Chartered at nearly 2.8 per cent.
9. Phillip SGX Apac Dividend Leaders Reit ETF
Similarly, the Phillip SGX Apac Dividend Leaders Reit ETF offers a dividend level of 4.3 per cent. Its benchmark index is the iEdge Apac ex Japan Dividend Leaders Reit Index, which tracks the top 30 dividend-paying Reits across the Apac region, excluding Japan.
The fund's total assets are valued at close to US$7.7 million, according to Monday data from PhillipCapital Management. Listed on Oct 20, 2016, its top constituent is Link Reit from Hong Kong at 10.25 per cent, followed by CICT and CapitaLand Ascendas Reit at 7.6 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively.
10. UOB Apac Green Reit ETF
The ETF with the 10th highest dividend yield is UOB Apac Green Reit ETF at 4.1 per cent. It is focused on high-yield Apac Reits with strong ESG credentials, and achieved the best H1 performance among the five Reit SGX-listed ETFs.
It tracks the iEdge-UOB Apac Yield Focus Green Reit Index, with half-year returns at 9.3 per cent. The ETF recorded the highest returns among SGX's sustainability-linked ETFs, as well for H1 of this year.
In addition to its majority weightage in CICT of 7.4 per cent, the ETF has holdings in GLP J-Reit and Japan Real Estate Investment, according to data from UOB.