In Focus

Philippine bank lending surges 11.7% to $281b by end-2025

Philippine bank lending surges 11.7% to $281b by end-2025

Loan loss coverage ratio coverage is 97.2%.

In Focus

Asia fintech share stalls at 20%

The US accounted for 47% of global fintech deals in Q1 2026.

In Focus

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.

In Focus

Only 2 in 5 small businesses use instant payments for refunds

Global Payments says gig pay usage reaches 63% amongst APAC businesses.

In Focus

Standard Chartered and A*STAR lab to boost wealth, battle fraud.

The $11.7m tie-up with A*STAR brings together 10 A*STAR researchers to explore wealth support and fraud control.

Exclusive

How Thailand card payments market will hit $99b in 2030

GlobalData projects the market to reach about $68.1b in 2026.

In Focus

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.

Expert Opinion

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.

In Focus

Hong Kong cards push cash aside in $175b market

Card payment value grew at a 7.6% CAGR from 2021 to 2025.

In Focus

HitPay eyes bigger share of traveller payments via QR

Borderless QR lets tourists pay in home wallets with local settlement.

Exclusive

APAC payments forecast hits $24t by 2033

The region is projected to capture 36% of worldwide outbound flows.

In Focus

Korea bank loan growth stalls in Q1 as household lending shrinks

Corporate lending drove bank loans in Q1 2026.

In Focus

Asia fintech hits $1.7b as global investment slump deepens

Region closed 150 transactions placing third behind US and Europe.

In Focus

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.

In Focus

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.

In Focus

Indian banks’ outlook rests on reforms and underwriting gains

A prolonged Middle East tensions could pressure growth and margins, however.

In Focus

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.

In Focus