Chart of the Week: Check out the Singapore banks' NPL ratios by sector

Overall NPL ratio increased to 2.1%, led by manufacturing, and transport, storage and communications.

According to Citi Research, asset quality concerns remain persistent, with the overall NPL ratio rising to 2.1% in 3Q16, from 1.5% a year ago, led by manufacturing, transport, storage and communications sectors.

The special mention loans ratio has also seen an uptrend. It rose to 3.6% from 3.3%.

Meanwhile, overall corporate NPL ratios rose to 2.7% from 1.8% in the same period (1.4% for the three local banks).

"Attention has been focused on the O&G sector, where MAS noted that the exposure of the banking system was less than 10% of total exposures, with non-performing assets at 4.2% of this exposure," Citi noted.