With growing ways to get into fractional investing, platforms strive to set themselves apart

[SINGAPORE] Fractional investing is growing in Singapore, as the concept becomes more widely known and methods of doing so proliferate. As competition grows, platforms aim to set themselves apart with different offerings and options for investors.

Fractional investing allows investors to buy a fraction of a share or unit, rather than an entire one, at the current market price.

While there are no estimates of overall fractional investing activity in Singapore, existing players report growth in such investments, while new products continue to be launched.

In January, trading platform Saxo became one of the latest to launch yet another fractional investment product, AutoInvest, which allows customers to invest a set amount every month in over a hundred exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

“We are seeing positive early signs that suggest this product is appealing to a wider base of clients,” says Saxo’s Singapore CEO Mahesh Sethuraman.

AutoInvest’s most common monthly investment amount is S$500; the average monthly investment amount is S$2,028; and the highest amount so far is S$30,000. Says Mahesh: “This shows us the broad-based appeal of AutoInvest and how such a product can be beneficial regardless of how much you are looking to invest.”

Rising allocations

Across financial services providers, investors are increasing their allocations to fractional investment products.

In February 2026, the average amounts that OCBC customers are investing in its Blue Chip Investment Plan (BCIP) – a fractional investment product that offers selected counters and ETFs – were 20 per cent higher than a year ago.

And users are rising rapidly. Germaine Tan, OCBC head of treasury products and equities, says: “The average number of BCIP accounts opened in January 2026 was 1.5 times higher than the average number of accounts opened in Q4 2025.”

DBS Bank has also seen a rise in both fractional investing transactions and users, having introduced fractional trading in US equities in October 2024.

In December 2025, the volume of US fractional transactions was seven times higher than in January 2025. The number of clients engaging in fractional trading doubled in the same period.

“We’ve observed that fractional trading appeals to a diverse range of investors across all age groups,” adds Chua Yi Wen, head of investment products in DBS’ consumer banking group.

Over at Tiger Brokers, the number of accounts transacting in fractional shares have increased by 18 per cent from 2024 to 2025.

Fractional trading volume grew by around 60 per cent in the same period, “suggesting that investors are increasingly incorporating it into their regular investment activity”, says Ian Leong, CEO of Tiger Brokers Singapore.

Wealth management platforms that broke out through fractional investing, such as StashAway, continue to see strong interest as well.

“We’ve seen strong growth in Singapore, driven both by new investors and by regular investments across our client base,” says StashAway co-founder and CEO Michele Ferrario, though without providing specific figures.

Singapore is a “strong growth market” for StashAway, he adds, with “momentum across a broad range of clients” from first-time investors to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).

Sheryl Choong, Endowus head of client advisory Singapore, says: “We continue to see steady inflows on the platform, and importantly, we have not experienced sustained weekly net outflows, even through periods of volatility.”

The median investment is between S$15,000 and S$20,000 per month, reflecting a mix of first-time investors to more established clients, she adds.

Overall, Endowus saw a 60 per cent growth in revenue in 2025, with assets under management crossing the US$10 billion mark at the end of 2025.

Fractional investing has not just been growing in volume. Such products now extend beyond equities and ETFs, and are appealing to a wider pool of investors.

New products, wider appeal

One newer area is precious metals. In 2021, OCBC launched a product that allowed customers to buy 0.01 ounces of silver or gold.

This allows investors to hold these precious metals without the need to meet minimum transaction sizes for physical ownership.

“Revenue from our Precious Metals Account grew eight times year on year between 2024 and 2025,” says OCBC’s Tan.

But she adds that the bank’s fractional offerings “reflect a consistent philosophy rather than a shift towards novelty, using ‘fractional’ access as a tool to support prudent portfolio building, not speculation”.

StashAway offers a range of alternative assets such as private equity, private credit and private infrastructure. This year, it added a multi-strategy hedge fund portfolio and a portfolio that invests in tech unicorns that have not listed yet.

These offerings were developed in response to growing interest from the HNWI segment, which is a “clear area of growth”, says Ferrario. The segment currently makes up over 50 per cent of StashAway’s assets under management in Singapore.

Platforms are also innovating with complementary products. In 2024, Tiger Brokers launched the Tiger Boss Debit Card, which rewards customers with fractional shares for every dollar spent.

Products aside, the audience for fractional investing has grown too. Fractional investing is no longer the sole domain of first-time young investors, with a diverse range of investors across age groups.

Says Tiger’s Leong: “While it initially gained traction among younger or newer investors seeking affordable access to high-priced US stocks, we are increasingly seeing more experienced investors using fractional shares for portfolio fine-tuning.”

Investors are using fractional trades to rebalance their portfolios more precisely, averaging into positions gradually or gaining exposure without overcommitting capital, he adds.

“There is also strong interest in well-known global brands and technology names, reflecting a desire to participate in long-term structural growth themes while managing entry points carefully.”

Traditional financial services providers are making deeper inroads into the fractional investing space, with more products – but the wealth platforms that took fractional investing mainstream say that they welcome the competition.

“If traditional banks catch up on fractionalisation, it’s a win for the ecosystem,” says Syfe’s chief commercial officer Jack Prickett.

Competition and differentiation

Still, wealth platforms are eager to highlight advisory and variety as two features that give them an edge amid rising competition.

“What is lacking is advice, and helping investors to understand the whys, hows, and whats behind their investment pursuits,” says Endowus’ Choong.

She highlights the platform’s risk and advisory frameworks; its customised solutions and curated portfolios; and its financial literacy efforts, including webinars and in-person sessions for clients.

Syfe provides “a human layer of advice on top of what technology captures”, says Prickett. “Our wealth experts give clients unbiased… and objective advice when needed, based on the individual’s particular circumstances and goals.”

Similarly, StashAway has deepened its focus on personalised investment guidance. “Our aim is to provide actionable insights to each client at every stage of their investing journey, helping them make informed decisions,” says Ferrario.

In 2025, the platform launched a personalised portfolio review for its clients: telling them which allocations had the biggest impact, how their investing patterns played out, and what drove their returns.

“It’s one way we’re helping our investors look past short-term market noise and assess their long-term asset allocation strategy,” says Ferrario.

All three wealth platforms also say their variety of offerings sets them apart.

Syfe touts the ability to trade US, Singapore, Hong Kong or London stock exchange securities directly on the platform.

Says Prickett: “We are not tied to a single asset type, so we build portfolios using whatever we believe delivers the best outcome for the client – whether that is ETFs, institutional-class funds, or individual stocks and options.”

In contrast to traditional financial services providers, these wealth platforms also offer private market products – from hedge funds to private equity funds and more – for the accredited investor segment.

Meanwhile, Endowus offers options not just in where to invest, but how. Investors on its platform can draw upon funds in their Central Provident Fund (CPF) and Supplementary Retirement Scheme accounts, in addition to cash.

Bright spots

The use of CPF as a funding source is one bright spot for Endowus, says Choong.

Another promising sign is the increasing savviness of Singapore’s retail investors, she adds. “In Singapore, we are seeing more retail investors move beyond simply accessing markets and start asking more thoughtful questions about diversification, costs and long-term outcomes.”

They are starting younger as well, with almost one in three of Endowus’ clients ranging from 18 to 34 years old.

Prickett notes that “disciplined, long-term investing has held up despite volatility”, with recurring investments into Syfe’s managed portfolios and income products continuing to grow in 2025.

While “passive, long-term investing remains the foundation”, there is rising demand for active strategies to run alongside, he adds. Active strategies refer to funds with fund managers that actively manage the portfolio rather than follow a benchmark index.

Syfe is also tapping the small and medium enterprise (SME) space with its Syfe for Business offering.

“In the midst of volatility, more SMEs are putting surplus cash to work rather than leaving it in near-zero-yield accounts,” says Prickett.

Not just a fad

Despite its rising popularity, fractional investing has not always been seen in a positive light.

Endowus’ Choong notes that “interest in fractional trading has been healthy due to perceived quick wins”.

“Particularly where incentives are structured around transactions, trading activity or short-term engagement, there is a risk of encouraging speculative behaviour rather than disciplined investing,” she says.

She and other industry players stress, however, that fractional investing can be part of a long-term plan.

“Fractional investing has a place in most investors’ portfolios,” says DBS Bank’s head of digiwealth Jamie Lee.

In particular, it allows retail investors who have limited capital – or prefer more conservative amounts – to spread their investments across different firms even on a modest budget, she adds.

“By lowering the barrier to entry, fractional investing makes it possible to own portions of global leaders without the high prices typically associated with these prominent names,” she says.

“This inherently helps to diversify an investment portfolio and mitigates risk by ensuring that your holdings are not overly dependent on the performance of a single company.”

OCBC’s Tan says that investors should look at fractional investing as a tool and not a standalone investment strategy.

It enables investors to build a diversified portfolio in a gradual manner at a lower price point, she notes. “Fractional investing can be useful for gaining exposure into core assets without requiring a larger amount of investment funds upfront.”

But she cautions: “Fractional investments work best when integrated into a well-balanced portfolio alongside other asset classes, rather than being used to chase short-term market movements.”

For more established investors, fractional investing can aid with investing disciplines such as dollar-cost averaging, where a set amount is put aside for investing every month, says Tiger’s Leong. Investors can also build up thematic allocations with greater precision.

Fractional investing ultimately complements a long-term diversified portfolio, he adds. “It allows investors to participate in global growth opportunities in a measured way, ensuring that portfolio construction is driven by strategy and risk appetite rather than by share price alone.”

Investors seem to be taking a longer-term approach, too.

In 2025, the average monthly investment made by a StashAway client remained steady at around S$7,000. But clients are allocating more capital into long-term investment portfolios rather than short-term cash management solutions, with such inflows growing 32 per cent year on year in 2025.