In Focus

Singapore bank ROEs to hit over 11% in 2020
20 Feb 19
Thanks to the shift towards fees and commission in the non-interest income mix.
Thailand braces for fresh wave of bad loans as property market cools
13 Feb 19
Retail mortgage NPLs account for 16.6% of systemic bad loans and 25.9% of total loans.
Taiwanese banks clamp down on Chinese exposure in hunt for fatter margins
6 Feb 19
Mainland credit exposure has dropped since Q3 2018 and is likely to remain flat in 2019.
Singapore banks grapple with tepid margins in 2019
31 Jan 19
Net interest margins are set to rise by 3-5bp.
Japanese banks heighten riskier lending to offset profit crunch
23 Jan 19
Lending to small enterprises is on a steady rise since 2013.
Philippine banks can weather their largest corporate default
16 Jan 19
The combined loan exposure of Korean shipbuilder Hanjin to its five creditors is at $412m.
Looming loan slowdown threatens Malaysian banks' 2019 earnings
9 Jan 19
Lending is tipped to moderate to 5.1% in 2019 from 5.6% in 2018.
China's fintech ecosystem is scaling faster than the US and Europe
19 Dec 18
Outside of China, fintechs are only able to disrupt one vertical unlike Alipay or WeChat Pay.
India's weakened banking sector awaits stronger credit growth as it tucks bad loans away
12 Dec 18
From 4.7% in end-2016, loans booked double-digit growth of 14.9% in November.
Global wealth managers double down to capture Asia's tech-savvy crazy rich millennials
5 Dec 18
Innovative fintechs are filling in gaps in order to meet the complex digital demands of this booming client base.
Asian banks rev up fintech partnerships to keep China's tech titans at bay
28 Nov 18
Incumbents are launching VC arms and innovation labs to avoid being outpaced.
Vietnamese banks cash in on $44b consumer finance market
21 Nov 18
The pivot to retail has boosted NIMs, loan growth and operational efficiency.
Small Chinese banks struggle to strike balance between curbing risk and lending
14 Nov 18
Megabanks have easier access to funding and have more stable asset quality.
Banks are putting up a fight against China's tech titans
7 Nov 18
Although the amount of nonbank third-party payment skyrocketed 480% from 2014-2017, mobile payments by banks rose by 798% over the same period....
Singapore still beats Hong Kong over Asia's open banking readiness crown
31 Oct 18
DBS and OCBC are regional leaders in fintech and innovation.
Hong Kong makes huge headway in realising smart banking ambitions
17 Oct 18
It rolled out a real-time fund transfer system, open API guidelines, virtual banks authorisation in 2018 alone.
How Bank Muamalat Indonesia used smart mapping technology to optimise its branch and ATM network
9 Oct 18
The bank enhanced 64% of its ATM's cost and acquired 10% more customers with 40% less branches.
Vietnamese banks' war against bad debt pays off
3 Oct 18
Lower credit costs lifted average operating profit/risk weighted assets from 1.6% in 2017 to 2.2% in H1 2018.
Can South Korea's web-only banks break out of beginner's rut to ensure sustainability?
26 Sep 18
The two players have been booking losses as they ramp up IT spending.
Which Asian banks will lose steam amidst the silver population takeover?
19 Sep 18
India, Indonesia, and the Philippines will benefit from a favourable demographic shift whilst Korea and Japan will flounder.
Banks in emerging Asia wrestle for e-payments market share against telcos and online upstarts
12 Sep 18
Indonesian and Philippine banks may lose up to $3.8b and $1.3b respectively as they fail to hold on to their dominance.
Are Hong Kong lenders under threat as virtual banks zero in on their market?
4 Sep 18
The HKMA has received 29 applications in the first round of screening ending August 31.
The full-fledged recovery of India's banks hinges on privatisation and mergers
22 Aug 18
Overseeing 21 public sector banks has proven too difficult a task for the government.
Could Australia's sharp housing downturn be a blessing in disguise for embattled banks?
15 Aug 18
Much has been said about slower credit growth but banks could also look forward to improving asset quality.
The worst is almost over for worn out Indian banks
8 Aug 18
An earnings turnaround is in sight by 2020 as banks start shedding off bad loans.
Can Thai banks keep their bad loan woes at bay?
1 Aug 18
Lending to SME operators will keep NPL formation levels elevated.
Vietnamese banks grapple with $9b capital crunch as lending outpaces capital generation
25 Jul 18
Tier 1 Capital ratio could fall from 9.4% to 8% by 2019.
China dominates world's largest banks even as Europe flexes financial muscle
2 Jul 18
Chinese lenders held the top four places in overall ranking based on Tier 1 capital.
Chinese banks brace as more reserve cuts loom to boost credit-short SMEs
27 Jun 18
Easing monetary policy will ease credit crunch firms face as part of the shadow banking crackdown.
Tech giants pose threat to Asian private banks as they lure the region's ultra rich
20 Jun 18
The likely target will be individuals shunned by private banking and pushed into premium retail banking models.
Asia beats Europe and America in private banking gains in 2017
13 Jun 18
Assets under management grew 15.2% which is almost double Europe’s 7.5%.
Heightened Mainland lending pose risks to Hong Kong banks after rising 21% in 2017
6 Jun 18
The bulk of PRC lending is geared towards lower credit quality firms like SMEs.
Chinese banks thrive on mobile payments as millennials drive cashless push
30 May 18
Lenders handled a whopping $11.1t in mobile payments in the first quarter alone.
Can Indonesian banks survive the severe local currency depreciation?
23 May 18
The Indonesian rupiah has plunged to a three-year low which might level strain on the banking system.
Is the worst over for Thai banks?
15 May 18
The sector is poised for profitability as it nears the end of the bad loan cycle.
How can blockchain unblock Thai banks' trade finance slump?
9 May 18
Banks are pooling resources to break growth ceilings with the planned development of a blockchain-powered trade finance platform.
Emerging Asia is leading the global corporate banking charge
1 May 18
CAGR from 2009 to 2016 clocked in at 12%.
Australian banks speed up Asian retreat as competition and oversight mounts
26 Apr 18
Amidst tighter regulatory pressures, analysts weigh in on whether Asia is still a market worth conquering.
Smartphone banking booms in Asia as digital penetration expands threefold
17 Apr 18
Mobile banking has grown at least twofold in Emerging Asia to outpace other e-banking types.
Can going overseas salvage struggling Japanese banks?
10 Apr 18
New markets and new target demographics may just help banks stay afloat.

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