In Focus

Mizuho to finance Japanese investments in Turkey

Mizuho Corporate Bank and Akbank signed a cooperation agreement to finance mergers and acquisitions between both countries.

In Focus

China's banks threatened by NPLs

China's commercial banks are facing a high risk of increased bad loans as local governments try to unleash a new round of stimulus packages.

In Focus

ICBC disappoints with 1st half results

China’s largest lender reported a 12.5% net profit rise for January to June, or less than half the comparable rate in 2011, while loans overdue for less than three months jumped 60%.

In Focus

S.Korean banks face grim profit outlook

The economic slowdown and squeezed profit margins are keeping South Korean banks from generating more profit.

In Focus

Chinese banks’ profit growth may fall to single digits in 2013

China’s banks, the world’s second most profitable after Indonesia’s, are expected to see profit growth fall below 10% in 2013.

In Focus

Malaysia remains world leader in Islamic finance

Malaysia accounts for US$165.2 billion or 60% of worldwide sukuk deals. Sukuk is the Islamic equivalent of bonds.

In Focus

Chinese banks bid farewell to era of easy profits

China’s Big Four banks face far weaker earnings growth in the future as profits continue to fall this year.

In Focus

NPL ratio of ailing Vietnamese banks reaches 60%

Vietnam's central bank found non-performing loans at some banks as high as 60% of the total outstanding loans.

In Focus

China’s Big Four dominate world’s top banks

China’s state-owned banks remain among the world’s most profitable and the largest in market capitalization.

In Focus

China’s Big Four dominate world’s top banks

China’s state-owned banks remain among the world’s most profitable and the largest in market capitalization, said a report by Boston Consulting Group.

In Focus

BoCom to raise US$8.98 billion for capital replenishment

China's fifth largest lender by assets, has received government approval to complete a private share placement.

In Focus

CIMB Group's net profit reaches a record RM2.120b in 1H12

Thanks to the strong growth at CIMB Niaga and CIMB Singapore and outperformance at Corporate Banking and Treasury Markets.

In Focus

Singapore banks surprise with tolerable Q2 results

Non-performing loan ratios were at or near all-time lows of 1% in the face of an extremely volatile market environment.

In Focus

Philippine bank lending increases 14.9% in 1H

Total outstanding loans among Philippine banks grew 14.9 percent to P2.95 trillion at the end of the first semester.

In Focus

BTMU suspends one more trader over LIBOR scandal

Japan's biggest bank has suspended another London-based trader over the widening LIBOR interest-rate rigging scandal. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. said one trader has been told to be on stand-by at home but withheld further comment. The trader is a non-Japanese who worked for the bank in London. The bank had earlier suspended two other London-based traders because of their suspected involvement in the LIBOR rate-rigging scandal while working for Dutch lender Rabobank. The scandal saw Britain's Barclays PLC fined £290 million after admitting that it attempted to manipulate LIBOR and EURIBOR rates between 2005 and 2009. LIBOR, or the London Interbank Offered Rate, is a flagship instrument used as an interest rate benchmark throughout the world, while EURIBOR is the Eurozone equivalent.

In Focus