APAC
DBS gains approval to act as RMB clearing bank in China
DBS gains approval to act as RMB clearing bank in China
DBS can now facilitate onshore China bond trading and provide custody services there.
Finance, insurance sectors expect strong hiring demand in Q1 2026: survey
India recorded the highest national outlook at 52%.
Which structured finance market in APAC will fare best?
Fitch sees stable to improving asset performance in ANZ and Japan as China slips.
CIB units confront new rivals as specialised firms gain scale
Independent investment banks and private credit firms are moving into their space.
SMBC APAC completes first SRT transaction
Its sponsor partners are Blackstone, Stonepeak, and Clifford Capital.
Syfe achieves group profitability
Its AUM in Hong Kong grew nearly six-fold in 2025.
APAC banks in stronger capital positions than global peers
Regulators have more conservative local rules.
Wealth managers expand lifestyle offerings to capture UHNWs
UHNW-focused practices are more likely to offer concierge and lifestyle services.
BNP Paribas sells AG Insurance stake to Ageas for $2.2b
BNP Paribas said the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.
Endowus rolls out two investment portfolios in HK, SG
Income Enhanced Conservative and Income Enhanced Aggressiveness are now available.
HSBC: Human oversight key as AI advances
AI tools should be deployed with strong oversight.
Retail banks embrace social media and streaming to boost revenue
One digital bank in Europe reported an ARR of $50m from “financial media networks.”
Banks leverage AI to streamline research and financial analysis
AI is being adopted in use cases outside CRM and as a research assistant.
This week in finance: TenPay Global CEO on interoperable payments; tap-to-pay service roll-outs
OCBC and Vietnam separately strengthen their QR payment ties with China.
Here are five ways banks can use agentic AI
Agentic AI helped free up 10% more time for client interactions, McKinsey reported.
HSBC names Brendan Nelson as group chair
He will remain chairman of the group audit committee until February 2026.
APAC EM banks face rising bad loans in 2026
Risks are potentially highest in China, Thailand, the Philippines, Mongolia, and India.
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The future of Asian banking isn’t ‘AI-first’ – it’s ‘fearless-first’