[SINGAPORE] The United States administration's tariffs have  roiled markets , sparking concerns over a full-blown trade war and a global recession. Unsurprisingly, markets in trade-reliant Singapore have also been on a rollercoaster. Certain sectors, such as banks and Singapore-listed real estate investment trusts, saw a  sell-off before rebounding  when US President Donald Trump paused the tariffs on Apr 9. Against this backdrop, Singapore's supermarket listings have been mixed.  Sheng Siong : OV8 +0.57% 's stock price rebounded to end at S$1.75 as at Apr 24 after a brief dip following Trump's  “Liberation Day” tariffs  on Apr 3. On the other hand,  DFI Retail Group: D01 0% , which recently agreed to  divest its Giant and Cold Storage supermarkets  to Malaysia's Macrovalue, saw its shares drop since Apr 3. Despite the mixed performance, analysts say that supermarket counters remain a defensive play for investors. Defensive stocks are those that provide stable returns even when an economy does poorly, as their products or services are always in demand. Macrovalue's acquisition of DFI's grocery segment shows that there remains a “business proposition” for supermarkets here, despite the high competition, says one analyst. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/are-singapores-supermarkets-tariff-proof ? (ICE SINGAPORE)

Fonte notizia: The Business Times, 25 April 2025