Frances Gagua

Bank of Singapore factors in ESG in loan quantum assessment

Bank of Singapore factors in ESG in loan quantum assessment

Those secured by a mutual fund with an ESG rating of AAA or AA will have their advance ratio increased by 5 ppt.

South Korean incumbent banks’ profits at risk as Kakao Bank expand loan services

The internet-only bank plans to launch mortgages and merchant loan products.

SEA named world’s fastest-growing mobile wallet region

The number of active mobile wallets is expected to reach 439.7 million by 2025.

Malaysia’s Public Bank offers 6-month moratorium to customers

This is in line with the Pemulih stimulus package announced by the government.

Citi APAC pilots program to help young social entreps scale up their operations

They studied ways to expand to new markets, and refined marketing and growth strategies, amongst others.

MAS, France complete wholesale cross-border payment experiment using CBDC

It simulated cross-border transactions involving multiple CBDCs on a common network.

J.P. Morgan boss predicts banks’ trading slump gone after pandemic: report

But shareholders may not share the same optimism once they see investment banks’ Q2 results.

South Korea mulls normalizing eased rules on banks’ FX derivatives: report

The country relaxed rules in March amidst a severe dollar crunch.

Hong Kong banks’ credit losses to revert to pre-COVID levels before end-2022

The increase in credit losses in 2020 was manageable compared globally.

Refinitiv launches electronic trading service in Indonesia

This is the country’s first interbank electronic marketplace for the trading of rupiah.

Real-time payment ties cash as preferred payment method in SEA markets

Three in five consumers from four markets name it as their favoured way of paying.

Citi APAC raises record $25b in sustainable funds for clients in H1 2021

Amongst the transactions is Alibaba Group’s $5b four-part offering in February.

Citi appoints 5 Singaporeans to senior positions across APAC

This includes the new head of Integrated Corporate Bank for its Taiwan business.

Southeast Asia’s neobank market to grow 50% in 2021

Funding and winding down of the pandemic’s impact on the economy will push this market.

Singapore extends ESG loan facility to banks, FIs

Since being launched in April 2020 it has disbursed S$13.3b to FIs in support.

Internet-only lender K-Bank’s users rise by over 2 million in Q2

As of end-June the banks said that it has over 6.19 million customers.

UOB Malaysia appoints new deputy CEO

Ng Wei Wei will retain her current role as head of wholesale banking alongside this promotion.