Total equity and debt fund raising shot up 49 per cent from December to hit $50.4 billion last month, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) noted yesterday.

Two major deals were Resources Global Development's initial public offering on Catalist and the listing of sovereign bonds by Laos.

Singapore's total securities market turnover also rose, up 27 per cent from December to $25.6 billion last month , despite the closure of several regional markets during the Chinese New Year period.

The market turnover value of exchange-traded funds on the SGX surged 73 per cent last month to $263 million, its highest gain since August 2018.

Trading of foreign exchange (FX) futures went up, with total traded volume climbing 25 per cent last month compared with the corresponding period last year, to reach 2.3 million contracts - the most in four months.

The SGX is Asia's largest FX futures trading centre.

The SGX also noted that its suite of equity derivatives expanded last month, signalling increased optimism towards emerging Asia from institutional investors.

This followed the signing of the phase one trade agreement between the United States and China, it added.