APAC
Wealth managers expand lifestyle offerings to capture UHNWs
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.
What makes Malaysia and India more creditor friendly than the Philippines?
The Philippines is ‘unpredictable’ in enforcement of laws and resolution time.
Fiuu unveils tap-to-pay contactless payments on iPhone
Merchants must have the Fiuu VT iOS app and at least an iPhone XS.
Banks struggle to keep pace as fintechs scale agentic AI
Most incumbent initiatives are defined by narrower applications.
Malaysia’s GXBank facilitated 220 million transactions in 2025
The bank has also disbursed about MYR25m to MSMEs via GX FlexiLoan.
OxPay clinches licence in Bhutan, will launch crypto B2B payments
It is setting up a subsidiary in Gelephu Mindfulness City.
APAC DM banks take on more risk as margins shrink
Aussie banks are growing their SME exposure whilst other banks are expanding overseas.
Citi boost FX team in Japan, JANA, and Asia South with new hires
New hires include a head of corporate FX sales in India and three director-level hires.
Commentary
Why most banks are struggling with AI, and what the smart ones are doing differently
Data, AI, and trust: The next era of financial crime prevention
From behavioural change to scalable inclusion: Cross-border payments in APAC
Device governance is not an IT problem. For SEA's financial sector, it is a boardroom one
Corporate acupuncture: How precision M&A is reshaping Asia’s competitive edge