Rising costs, declining profitability pushing companies out of Singapore

SINGAPORE: The most widespread margin squeeze in at least a decade is pushing some Singapore companies out of the city state as rising costs and slow growth sap profitability.

A Reuters study of 268 listed Singapore companies showed that 57% reported a year-on-year drop in operating profit margin for the first three quarters of 2012. That was the biggest percentage for the ninemonth period on record, according to Thomson Reuters data going back to 2002. Full year data for 2012 was not yet available.