In Focus
Standard Chartered and A*STAR lab to boost wealth, battle fraud.
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.
How Thailand card payments market will hit $99b in 2030
GlobalData projects the market to reach about $68.1b in 2026.
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.
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.
Hong Kong cards push cash aside in $175b market
Card payment value grew at a 7.6% CAGR from 2021 to 2025.
HitPay eyes bigger share of traveller payments via QR
Borderless QR lets tourists pay in home wallets with local settlement.
APAC payments forecast hits $24t by 2033
The region is projected to capture 36% of worldwide outbound flows.
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.
Why do Singapore banks dominate brand value rankings?
Resilient balance sheets and steady growth are amongst the key reasons.
HDFC and ICICI well-placed to against uncertain operating backdrops: report
The two banks will enter FY2027 in a position of strength, said CreditSights.
Commentary
How alternative data lending is reaching Southeast Asia's unscored MSMEs
Asia is leading payments modernisation and banks can't afford to fall behind
Investing in an inefficient market
Platinum cards, paper-thin compliance?
Energy price volatility highlights structural gaps for managing FX risk in APAC