Over the long weekend, I had the chance to catch up with some old school friends, and it brought to mind something that DBS’ outgoing CEO, Piyush Gupta, once mentioned: “The best way to stay grounded is to go back and spend time with the friends you had in school… Within 20 minutes of meeting you, they bring you back to the kind of person you used to be.” These words serve as a timely reminder—not just about staying grounded in life but also in investing. After 15 years steering the ship, Gupta officially stepped down on March 28. Under his guidance, Southeast Asia’s largest bank has seen remarkable growth, with dividends rising and the share price experiencing a 270% surge during his tenure. As Temasek’s CEO aptly noted, “DBS has proven that you can be both a yield company and a growth company.” Appropriately, this week the Straits Times Index (STI) soared to an all-time high, surpassing 4,000 points.
