In Focus
Malaysia's Q1 loan growth set to stall as businesses turn cautious
Malaysia's Q1 loan growth set to stall as businesses turn cautious
Banks’ loan loss provisioning is also expected to rise between $203.82m to 1b in Q1 2026F.
47 minutes ago
Only 2 in 5 small businesses use instant payments for refunds
Global Payments says gig pay usage reaches 63% amongst APAC businesses.
1 hour ago
Standard Chartered sets up AI lab to test banking use cases
The $11.7m tie-up with A*STAR targets wealth support and fraud control.
1 day ago
How Thailand card payments market will hit $99b in 2030
GlobalData projects the market to reach about $68.1b in 2026.
1 day ago
How can Thai banks close the gap in wealth fee income?
KBank and SCB are best placed in wealth services with digital tools and segmentation.
1 day ago
Nonbank finance, AI and war top APAC financial institutions’ risks in 2026
A protracted war could raise their credit losses by 25% or $180b, S&P warned.
2 days ago
Hong Kong cards push cash aside in $175b market
Card payment value grew at a 7.6% CAGR from 2021 to 2025.
2 days ago
HitPay eyes bigger share of traveller payments via QR
Borderless QR lets tourists pay in home wallets with local settlement.
3 days ago
APAC payments forecast hits $24t by 2033
The region is projected to capture 36% of worldwide outbound flows.
3 days ago
Korea bank loan growth stalls in Q1 as household lending shrinks
Corporate lending drove bank loans in Q1 2026.
Asia fintech hits $1.7b as global investment slump deepens
Region closed 150 transactions placing third behind US and Europe.
Japanese banks build hidden risk in offshore credit push
Currently, direct exposure to US private credit appears limited at Japan’s major institutions, Fitch said.
Thai banks hit $0.38t loan book as profit falls 2.2%
Krung Thai Bank held the largest portfolio at THB2.80t after a 4.2% yearly increase.
Indian banks’ outlook rests on reforms and underwriting gains
A prolonged Middle East tensions could pressure growth and margins, however.
How APAC M&A advisers ranked as BofA topped $28b in deals
Rothschild & Co and BNP Paribas followed closely behind the leader in total value.
Thai bank earnings set to weaken in challenging 2026
Net interest margins will compress, and loan growth will be subdued.
SEA leads fintech density as Asia gap widens
Singapore recorded 619 fintech companies per 1 million people.
Commentary
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