Yesterday, Singapore’s Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) surged to a new 52-week high, reaching levels last seen in 2018, more than six years ago. Behind this rise are gains across a wide range of blue-chip stocks, including those from the airline, banking, and telecommunications sectors. Many of the STI stocks pay a dividend too. Here are three blue-chip dividend stocks among the year’s top gainers. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (SGX: BS6) Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, or YZJ, has been a standout performer with shares rising 61% year to date. The Chinese shipbuilder owns four shipyards in the Jiangsu province along the Yangtze River, producing a range of commercial vessels including large containerships, bulk carriers and liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG) carriers. For the first half of 2024 (1H’24), YZJ’s revenue rose 15.3% year on year to around RMB 23.1 billion. Gross profit leapt 65.1% year on year to RMB 3.5 billion due to favourable exchange rates and pricing while net profit soared by over 77%...