Singapore Retail Investors Bet Big on AI Stocks as Electronics Exports Surge
Source: The Business Times
More than half of Singapore retail investors expect AI-related stock prices to rise in 2026, according to eToro's Q2 Retail Investor Beat survey of 1,000 Singapore respondents. Semiconductor and chipmaker firms are the top pick at 40%, while technology holdings have climbed to 57% of portfolios, all against a backdrop of electronics exports nearly doubling in May.
Singapore retail investors are more bullish on AI stocks than their global peers, with 51% expecting AI-related equities to rise this year versus 44% globally, according to eToro's Q2 2026 Retail Investor Beat survey. The survey of 11,000 retail investors across 13 countries — including 1,000 respondents from Singapore — reveals a market increasingly shaped by AI optimism.
Semiconductor and chipmaker firms emerged as the preferred bet for capturing AI gains, cited by 40% of investors, followed by large technology platforms integrating AI at 39% and specialised AI-first companies at 35%. Technology remained the top intended investment sector for the fourth straight quarter, with existing tech holdings rising to 57% from 54% in Q4 2025.
The bullish sentiment aligns with Singapore's electronics export boom: non-oil domestic exports surged 94.8% year-on-year in May, driven by integrated circuits, disk media products, and PCs. Over one in four Singapore investors believe the city-state is best positioned to lead the global AI race after the US and China — a confidence eToro's managing director for Singapore attributed to government AI investment and workforce upskilling.
Why it matters for Singapore: The combination of export-driven growth and surging retail investor enthusiasm for AI equities reflects a broader economic transformation. With OpenAI and Anthropic both signalling public listings and SpaceX recently debuting, a visible pipeline of AI companies is coming to market. Singapore's retail investors are positioning early, betting that the city-state's semiconductor supply chain and AI-ready workforce will deliver returns as the global AI capex cycle accelerates.