Singapore is one of the most important trading hubs in the world. It links Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, and it has a strong rule of law and clear business rules. For this reason, many global trading firms choose Singapore as their base or as a key regional office.
In 2025, the list of top trading firms in Singapore covers more than one type of business. There are huge commodity and agricultural houses that move oil, metals, grains, and food across the globe. There are also fast-moving proprietary trading firms that use algorithms and high-speed systems to trade stocks, futures, and currencies in milliseconds.
This article gives an overview of the top trading firms in Singapore to know in 2025. It explains the main types of firms, highlights ten notable names, and shares simple tips on how to choose a firm or explore a career with one. The goal is to use clear language so that students, job seekers, and young professionals can understand this important part of Singapore’s economy.
Why Singapore Is A Global Trading Hub in 2025
Singapore is small in land size, but its trade volume is very large. Official data shows that in 2024, Singapore’s biggest trade partners were Mainland China, Malaysia, and the United States, and both exports and imports remain high compared with the size of the country. This strong position in world trade helps attract major trading firms.
Several factors explain this success:
- Strategic location. Singapore sits on key sea routes that link the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Ships carrying oil, gas, metals, and goods pass through the region every day.
- Stable rules and strong regulation. The government promotes open trade and clear laws. Global investors and companies see Singapore as safe and reliable.
- Skilled workforce. Universities and training programs produce engineers, data scientists, traders, and finance professionals who can support complex trading activities.
- Advanced infrastructure. Modern ports, refineries, storage terminals, and digital networks make it easier to trade and to manage risk.
Because of these strengths, global commodity giants, agribusiness leaders, and high-tech trading firms all keep important operations in Singapore.
Types of Trading Firms in Singapore
When people search for the “top trading firms in Singapore,” they may mean different things. In simple terms, most firms fall into three broad groups.
Commodity and Energy Trading Houses
These firms buy, sell, store, and move physical goods such as crude oil, refined products, metals, and agricultural products. They manage ships, storage tanks, and supply chains. Examples include Trafigura, Vitol Asia, Olam Group, Wilmar, and Cargill’s Asia-Pacific trading desks.
Agricultural and Food Trading Groups
Some firms focus on grains, edible oils, sugar, cocoa, coffee, and other food ingredients. In Singapore, Wilmar International and Olam Group are large listed companies in this space.
Proprietary and Quantitative Trading Firms
These “prop trading” firms use their own capital, not client money, to trade financial products such as stocks, futures, options, and currencies. Many of them use quantitative models and high-frequency systems. A 2025 directory of trading firms shows that global names like AlphaGrep, Flow Traders, Grasshopper, Jump Trading, Hudson River Trading, and others run operations in Singapore.
This article’s list of “top 10 trading firms in Singapore” includes both large commodity houses and leading prop trading firms, since both are important parts of the ecosystem.
Also Read: Top 10 Blockchain Companies in Singapore (2025 Update)
Top 10 Trading Firms in Singapore in 2025
Here are ten notable trading firms shaping Singapore’s trading landscape in 2025:
- Quantmatter – Quantitative trading firm using algorithms across global markets
- Hudson River Trading (HRT) – Multi-asset quantitative trading firm with a Singapore office
- Olam Group – Major agri-commodity and food ingredients trader listed in Singapore
- Wilmar International – Integrated agribusiness leader in palm oil, grains, and sugar
- Vitol Asia – Regional hub of one of the world’s top energy trading houses
- Cargill Asia Pacific – Asia-Pacific hub for global food and agricultural trading
- AlphaGrep – Quantitative market maker active on many global exchanges
- Grasshopper – Home-grown low-latency proprietary trading and technology firm
- Flow Traders – Leading market maker in ETFs and digital assets in Asia
- Jump Trading Pacific – Technology-driven proprietary trading firm with a strong Singapore base
Looking to understand how Singapore stays a global trading hub in 2025? This article takes a detailed look at these ten firms and how they connect physical commodities, financial markets, and advanced trading technology. Whether the focus is on oil and metals, agricultural products, or quantitative and algorithmic strategies, these companies help drive liquidity, price discovery, and risk management across the region. By studying their roles, business models, and presence in Singapore, this article aims to give readers a clear picture of how the city-state supports both traditional commodity trade and modern electronic trading.
1. Quantmatter
Quantmatter is a quantitative trading and technology firm that focuses on algorithmic strategies across global markets. From its Singapore base, the firm uses data, statistics, and computing power to build models that trade in milliseconds. Its teams usually combine software engineers, mathematicians, and researchers who work closely to design, test, and deploy trading systems. Singapore’s time zone and strong market links make it a useful hub for Quantmatter to connect Asian markets with Europe and the United States. For people interested in high-tech trading roles, Quantmatter is often seen as a name to watch in the region.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong focus on technology and data; good fit for people with STEM backgrounds | Very competitive hiring; high performance pressure |
| Exposure to global markets and multiple asset classes | Work can be highly specialized and narrow for some roles |
| Located in a major financial hub with good infrastructure | Demanding work hours around key market sessions |
2. Hudson River Trading (HRT)
Hudson River Trading is a leading proprietary trading firm that uses advanced algorithms and technology to trade in more than 200 markets worldwide. It runs an office in Singapore’s Ocean Financial Centre, which is part of its Asia-Pacific footprint. HRT is widely known for its strong engineering culture and heavy investment in software, hardware, and research talent. In 2024, media reports suggested the firm generated very high net trading revenue, underlining its scale in the global trading industry. The presence of HRT in Singapore reflects how the city attracts top-tier electronic trading firms, not only commodity houses.
| Pros | Cons |
| Global multi-asset trading across many markets | Recruiting is extremely competitive and selective |
| Strong focus on modern software engineering and research | Proprietary nature means limited public information about internal work |
| Office in a prime Singapore location as part of Asia strategy | High expectations for technical skill and performance |
3. Olam Group
Olam Group is a leading agricultural commodity trader and food ingredients company listed in Singapore. It operates in many countries and handles cocoa, coffee, grains, spices, nuts, and other soft commodities. In recent years, Olam has focused on growing its food ingredients (“Ofi”) unit and restructuring its other businesses to sharpen its strategy. From its Singapore base, the group runs trading desks, processing operations, and supply chains that connect farmers to food companies and consumers worldwide. For anyone who wants to understand soft-commodity trading from a Singapore base, Olam remains one of the central names.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong position in agricultural and food ingredients | Exposure to weather, crop risks, and supply chain shocks |
| Listed in Singapore, with clear public reporting | Complex corporate structure may be hard to understand from outside |
| Wide global network in soft commodities | Some business units have gone through restructuring and change |
4. Wilmar International
Wilmar International is one of Asia’s leading agribusiness groups, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Singapore. It handles palm oil, oilseeds, grains, sugar, and other agricultural products across a large global network. The company runs more than 1,000 manufacturing plants worldwide and has a major distribution network. Wilmar is also one of the biggest listed companies on Singapore Exchange, which makes it a key part of the local equity market. Its mix of production, processing, and trading activities makes Wilmar a key player in both physical trade and risk management for agricultural markets.
| Pros | Cons |
| Integrated model from plantations to processing and trading | Sensitive to global debates around palm oil, sustainability, and ESG |
| Large employer and major listed company in Singapore | Commodity cycles can create earnings volatility |
| Strong presence across Asia and emerging markets | Operations can be complex and heavily regulated in multiple countries |
5. Vitol Asia
Vitol is often described as one of the world’s leading energy traders, and Vitol Asia Pte Ltd is its Asia-Pacific arm. This unit is incorporated and headquartered in Singapore and acts as the regional hub for crude oil and petroleum product trading. Vitol Asia is reported to trade millions of barrels of oil and products each day, using a mix of physical cargoes, derivatives, and shipping. The firm also manages a large shipping and storage network, including strategic assets in and around Jurong Island. Its strong presence in Singapore and the wider region places Vitol Asia among the top energy trading firms in the country.
| Pros | Cons |
| Major player in global oil and energy markets | High exposure to volatile energy prices and geopolitical risk |
| Strong logistics network and storage assets | Work culture can be intense and performance-driven |
| Deep Singapore presence, especially around Jurong Island | Roles often require strong prior experience in energy trading |
6. Cargill Asia Pacific (Singapore Hub)
Cargill is a global food and agricultural company, and Singapore serves as its regional hub for Asia-Pacific. From Singapore, Cargill coordinates the trading of agricultural commodities and food ingredients across many markets. It also offers risk management products to clients in the region, helping them manage price and supply risks. In addition, Cargill runs a local food innovation center in Singapore, which was relaunched in 2025 with support from local agencies to develop new ingredient and product solutions. Because of its long history and hub role, Cargill’s Singapore operations are a major part of the local trading landscape.
| Pros | Cons |
| Well-established global brand with long history | Still a private company, so less public financial data than listed peers |
| Strong regional hub and innovation center in Singapore | Some roles may be more corporate or support-based than pure trading |
| Mix of trading, risk management, and R&D work | Complex global structure can make internal navigation challenging |
7. AlphaGrep
AlphaGrep is a global quantitative trading and investment firm that builds algorithmic strategies and trades across asset classes on more than 30 exchanges worldwide. The firm lists a Singapore office at Suntec Tower 5 and describes itself as one of the top market makers by volume on several exchanges. It is known for hiring engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists to design and run its trading systems. Work at AlphaGrep often involves building low-latency systems, data pipelines, and trading models that must run reliably and quickly. For people interested in quantitative finance roles in Singapore, AlphaGrep is one of the key firms to know.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong focus on quantitative and algorithmic trading | Very selective hiring and tough interview processes |
| Exposure to many global exchanges and asset classes | Work can be highly technical and may not suit non-STEM profiles |
| Singapore office with clear market-making presence | Performance pressure can be high in proprietary trading |
8. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a Singapore-based quantitative trading technology provider and proprietary trading group that uses low-latency strategies. The firm is headquartered in Singapore and has built its own in-house trading platform. Beyond proprietary trading, Grasshopper also runs a separate asset management arm that is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. This mix of technology development, trading, and regulated asset management makes it unusual among purely proprietary firms. Grasshopper shows how a home-grown Singapore company can build advanced trading technology and compete with global players while staying rooted in the local market.
| Pros | Cons |
| Home-grown firm with deep roots in Singapore | Smaller brand recognition outside Asia compared with some global giants |
| Builds its own trading technology platform | May have fewer locations and mobility options than larger multinationals |
| Regulated asset management arm under MAS | Headcount may be lean, so roles can be demanding and multi-purpose |
9. Flow Traders
Flow Traders is a global trading firm and leading market maker in exchange-traded products (ETPs) and other asset classes. The company opened its Singapore office in 2007 as part of its Asia strategy and has grown alongside the region’s ETF markets. Today, Flow Traders operates trading hubs in Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific. It provides liquidity on many exchanges, which helps lower trading costs and improve price discovery for investors. Its long-standing office in Singapore and its focus on ETFs and digital assets make Flow Traders a key name for those interested in market making in the region.
| Pros | Cons |
| Specialist in ETPs and ETFs; clear niche | Business is tied to market liquidity and trading volumes |
| Long history in Singapore and Asia | Market-making work can be intense during volatile periods |
| Exposure to both traditional and digital assets | Technology and quant skills are often a firm requirement |
10. Jump Trading Pacific
Jump Trading is a global proprietary trading firm that uses advanced technology to trade across many asset classes and markets. In Singapore, Jump Trading Pacific Pte. Ltd. is a local company registered at Asia Square Tower 1, which shows a formal and long-term presence in the city. Jump is known for its focus on research, engineering, and high-performance systems. Many roles center on building ultra-fast trading infrastructure, handling large data sets, and running systematic strategies. For quantitative developers and traders in Singapore who want to work on deep technical problems, Jump is one of the top firms to watch.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong culture of research and engineering | Highly competitive environment with high expectations |
| Focus on cutting-edge low-latency and HPC systems | Work can involve long hours around market times and releases |
| Solid, long-term Singapore presence | Limited external visibility due to private, proprietary nature |
Singapore’s trading scene brings together classic commodity houses, global agribusiness groups, and highly technical quantitative trading firms. On one side, companies like Trafigura, Vitol, Olam, Wilmar, and Cargill manage large physical flows of energy and food that keep economies running. On the other side, firms such as Quantmatter, AlphaGrep, Grasshopper, Flow Traders, and Jump focus on electronic and algorithmic trading that helps provide liquidity and efficient pricing.
This article does not offer any investment advice or formal ranking. Instead, it gives a starting map of key names that help define Singapore’s role as a trading hub in 2025. Whether someone is exploring career options, researching the market, or simply trying to understand how global trade works from a Singapore point of view, these firms are important reference points in the city-state’s evolving financial landscape.
How to Choose a Trading Firm in Singapore
Not every firm suits every goal. When thinking about the top trading firms in Singapore, it helps to match the features of the firm with the needs of the person or business.
For a Trading or Quant Career
If the goal is a career as a trader, researcher, or engineer, some key points to look at are:
Type of trading.
- Commodity firms like Trafigura, Olam, Vitol, Wilmar, and Cargill focus heavily on physical supply chains and risk management.
- Prop firms like AlphaGrep, Grasshopper, Flow Traders, Jump, and HRT focus more on electronic markets and quantitative models.
Skills required.
- Commodity houses often look for people with knowledge of logistics, shipping, structured finance, and fundamental market analysis.
- Prop firms usually seek strong math, coding, and data skills, with comfort in Python, C++, or similar languages.
Work style.
- Some firms have more traditional office hours, while others run 24-hour trading desks that follow global markets. It is helpful to check job ads or company pages to understand culture and hours.
For Businesses and Clients
If a business wants to work with a trading firm, either to buy or sell products or manage risk, these questions can help:
- What markets does the firm focus on (oil, metals, grains, FX, etc.)?
- Does the firm offer risk management tools such as hedging and derivatives?
- Does the firm have strong logistics support in Asia, such as storage, shipping, and local partnerships?
- How transparent is the firm about pricing, sustainability, and compliance?
Commodity and agricultural firms based in Singapore often provide integrated solutions that combine physical trade, financing, and risk management, which can be very useful for regional producers and buyers.
For Students and Early-Career Readers
For younger readers or students, the first step is often to understand the basic differences between:
- Working at a bank (client-facing, with a mix of sales and trading)
- Working at a commodity house (focus on flows of physical goods)
- Working at a prop firm or hedge fund (focus on using the firm’s own capital and models)
From there, it helps to:
- Read company careers pages
- Look up internship programs in Singapore
- Join student trading or finance clubs to build basic skills
- Learn simple coding and statistics, which are useful in many trading roles
Also Read: Top 10 Cryptocurrency Prime Brokerages to Consider in 2025 (Platforms Compared)
Tips for Getting Started with Trading Firms in Singapore
This section gives simple, practical ideas for anyone who wants to move closer to a role or partnership with a top trading firm in Singapore.
Build Core Knowledge
A strong base in these topics is very useful:
- Financial products: Understand what stocks, bonds, futures, options, and swaps are at a simple level.
- Basic statistics and probability: Mean, variance, correlation, and simple distributions.
- Economics and trade: How supply and demand affect prices, and how trade flows move between regions.
Online courses, university classes, and books can all help. Many trading firms also share blog posts or explainers that show how they think about markets.
Learn Useful Tools
Both commodity houses and prop firms value people who can work well with data and technology. Some useful tools include:
- Programming languages: Python is common for data work; C++ and Java are popular in high-frequency trading.
- Spreadsheets and basic automation: Excel, Google Sheets, and simple scripts.
- Data visualization: Simple charts to explain ideas clearly.
For roles that are less technical, such as operations or risk control, strong communication skills and attention to detail are also very important.
Network in a Smart and Respectful Way
Singapore often hosts conferences, meet-ups, and career events related to trading, commodities, and finance. Many of the firms listed in this article appear in attendee lists or sponsor events in the region.
Some simple steps:
- Follow trading firms on LinkedIn and watch for events or talks.
- Join open online talks or webinars when they are available.
- When reaching out to people, be clear, polite, and brief. For example, ask one or two focused questions instead of sending a very long message.
Conclusion
Singapore in 2025 remains a key centre for global trade and modern markets. It connects producers, buyers, and investors across Asia and the rest of the world, supported by strong rules, good infrastructure, and a skilled workforce. Different kinds of trading firms, from those handling physical goods to those focused on financial markets and technology, all help shape prices, manage risk, and keep goods and capital moving smoothly through the economy.
For students, job seekers, and businesses, the most important step is to understand how this ecosystem works and where each person or company fits best. This article has outlined the main types of trading activity in Singapore and shared simple guidance on how to learn more and get started. With clear goals, steady learning, and an open mind toward both data and real-world trade flows, readers can use this overview as a starting point to explore trading opportunities in and around Singapore.
Disclaimer: The information provided by HeLa Labs in this article is intended for general informational purposes and does not reflect the company’s opinion. It is not intended as investment advice or recommendations. Readers are strongly advised to conduct their own thorough research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions.
Joshua Soriano
I am a writer specializing in decentralized systems, digital assets, and Web3 innovation. I develop research-driven explainers, case studies, and thought leadership that connect blockchain infrastructure, smart contract design, and tokenization models to real-world outcomes.
My work focuses on translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable narratives for builders, businesses, and investors, highlighting transparency, security, and operational efficiency. Each piece blends primary-source research, protocol documentation, and practitioner insights to surface what matters for adoption and risk reduction, helping teams make informed decisions with precise, accessible content.
