DBS Drops Big Dividends and a New Capital Return Plan - Here’s Why I’m Excited

 DBS Announces Record Profits and Capital Return Plan

As someone who keeps a close eye on DBS groups movements, I was pretty hyped when they dropped their latest financial update. On the February 10, 2025, DBS announced a final dividend on $0.60 per share for Q4 2024 (Ex Date - April 7, 2025). This brings the full year payout to $2.22 per share (a 16% jump) as compared to $1.92 the previous year. Not bad at all!

Now let's talk numbers. I first bought DBS back in September 2020 when it was trading at $19.73. Fast forward to today, with the stock sitting at $45, that's a 228% capital gain on my original investment! The $2.22 annual dividend? That's an 11% yield on my initial cost. Definitely not chump change.

Of course, I didn't just stop there. I've been adding to my position over the years, which bumped up my average cost. So my real dividend yield on cost sits at about 7%, and my capital gain stands at 50.13%. Still, those are some solid numbers for a bank stock, and it just shows that patience pays off in long term investing.

But here's the cherry on top. DBS isn't just stopping at dividends. They also announced plans to introduce a new "Capital Return" dividend of $0.15 per share, paid out quarterly. That's like getting an extra bonus on top of an already sweet deal. Not only does it make DBS more attractive to dividend investors, it also signals confidence in their financial strength, which in all honesty, is exactly what we want to see as shareholders.

So what's next? If DBS keep up a full-year dividend of $2.40 ($0.60 quarterly) and a we factor in a reasonable expected 5% return on investment, that would put my target price for DBS at around $48, meaning there is still a 6.6% upside from the today's price.

Bottom line? DBS has been a winner for me. Strong dividends, solid growth and now an extra capital return. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

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Bitcoin Plunges to $91K Today: A Closer Look at the Events Behind the Drop

Bitcoin falls 10% intraday

Bitcoin's price took a dive today (03-Feb-2025) to US $91,057, a drop that left the market scrambling. Here's a breakdown of the events that might have contributed to this dramatic plunge.

• New trade tariffs announced by Trump have created uncertainty in global markets prompting investors to shift towards safe-haven assets.

Bloomberg reported a surge in US Dollar and a forecast for falling stock markets amid these trade tensions, DXY data also confirms that the dollar's strength has increased after the confirmation of the tariffs on Friday.

• Canada, China and Mexico's retaliatory tariffs to further escalate trade tensions

In response to the US Tariffs, China and Mexico have indicated that they would retaliate, and Canada announced counter tariffs, targeting approximately C$ 155 billion US goods which is expected to further strain the long standing trade relations between the 2 nations.

This combined effect has led to a significant strengthening of the US dollar relative to other currencies and as a result, impacted Bitcoin in several ways.

• Risk-off sentiment

When geopolitical or trade tensions rise, investors tend to shift their funds into safer assets. This can lead to the selling of what is considered "riskier" investments including the likes of Bitcoin. Although Bitcoin has sometimes been viewed as a hedge, its volatility also means that in times of uncertainty, investor might choose more traditional safe havens such as gold, putting downward pressure on Bitcoin's price.

• Stronger US Dollar

A stronger US dollar makes assets priced in dollars more attractive, As Bitcoin is currently pegged to US stable coins (namely USDC and USDT) which is priced in US dollars, when the dollar surges, the appeal of Bitcoin to global investors fall, as they see more value in holding cash or dollar-denominated assets rather than a volatile crypto asset. This can contribute to lower demand and a further drop in Bitcoin prices.

• Increased Market Volatility 

The trade tensions and subsequent policy reactions contributed to a broader market uncertainty which can further lead to increase volatility across various asset classes. With many investors and algorithms set to trigger sell orders in turbulent markets, Bitcoin could face rapid sell-offs or liquidations as part of this wider market correction.

All these have created a perfect storm for Bitcoin's 10% plunge today. That being said, at the point of writing, crypto has been known to be subject to knee jerk reactions and as such, this decline may represent a temporary adjustment amid broader economic uncertainty. We will need to watch closely to see if Bitcoin can stabilize or will be subject to larger volatility as the situation develops.