Staff Reporter
CMB International and MA Financial to co-manage $600m private credit fund
CMB International and MA Financial to co-manage $600m private credit fund
The fund will focus on senior secured leveraged loans.
NAB underlying net profit jumps 12% to $3.1b in Q1
This was driven by the strong performance of its customer facing divisions.
Chinese banks slash USD bond exposure to 85%
Banks are increasing bond investments in the Euro and likely the AUD, said BofA.
Fintech expands SME credit as 72.9% see growth impact
SMEs make up over 90% of businesses across Asia yet face constrained traditional financing.
DBS pilots Visa Intelligent Commerce for agent-initiated payments
Pilot tests AI agents completing everyday purchases using issuer-controlled payment flows.
Chinese banks miss Hong Kong stablecoin opportunities as rules tighten
China is likely to push the e-CNY as it extends stablecoin restrictions to offshore.
South Korea lending rate to fall to 3.16% by 2028
Borrowing costs will extend their downward trend after a 21% drop in 2023.
Philippine cash remittances hit record $3.52b in December
Full-year inflows and personal remittances both hit an all-time high.
Australia’s BEN to see low credit losses but at risk from housing shock: S&P
Operating efficiency will likely continue to improve on digital investments.
Mizuho FG’s CET1 ratio climbs to 13.76% as capital base grows
The megabank earlier announced that it has achieved 90% of its profit target.
BEA’s profit down 24% to $447.87m in 2025 as China losses mount
Commercial real estate (CRE) accounted for 77% of BEA’s loan loss provisions.
Japanese banks face bond yield shocks as yields hit 2.23%
Megabanks should be able to handle the near-term losses, said Fitch.
BNPL drives embedded finance as 51% report 25% revenue lift
40% said average order value rose 25% or more in the same survey
Alipay’s agentic-powered AI Pay exceeds 120 million transactions
AI Pay is being used by Luckin Coffee and Rokid, amongst others.
Japan’s PayPay files for Nasdaq IPO
A public offering of the American depositary shares is also planned.
MariBank links remittances to Weixin Pay via TenPay Global
Users can send salaries and savings via MariBank Overseas Transfers.
APAC fintech exits hit $8.8b in H2 2025 as Hong Kong IPOs rebound
In contrast, IPO activity in Australia was “dry”, said KPMG.
Thought Leadership Centre
Most Read
1. OCBC scales regional SME support with S$25b sustainable finance goal 2. ASIC scam takedowns jump 90% as Australians’ losses hit $2.18b 3. MUFG breaks ground on new HQ with 2030 target completion 4. Standard Chartered unveils first-ever Global Fusion Centre in Malaysia 5. Philippines cash holds 42% of POS payments despite e-wallet riseResource Center
Read Here
Advertise
Sign Up
Events
Event News
Ipsos says lenders financial institutions now compete with best-in-class platforms across all industries
Commentary
Buy now, worry later: The hidden cost of BNPL
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