In Focus
APAC dominates financial centre list but growth slows
APAC dominates financial centre list but growth slows
Eight of 15 centres tipped to rise are based in the region.
Islamic lenders hit digital wall on slow rollout
Products don’t evolve quickly due to extra layers of review.
APAC banks to absorb $500b new losses from Middle East & China risks
Slower growth in China and worsening property risks is amongst factors that can affect banks.
Japan corporate banking hits $34b by 2032 amidst strain
The market climbed to $8.9b in 2024 whilst legacy tech remains a hurdle.
How can China balance bank pricing power with financial stability?
Lenders gain when prices rise but bear losses when loans sour.
Banks hit AI plateau as 80% see no bottom-line impact
Many lenders plateau after deploying isolated tools instead of full transformation, said McKinsey.
Banks face budget squeeze from AI and legacy systems
Corporate IT allocations are projected to keep climbing through 2027.
Japanese banks avoid $550b US investment hook for now
The JBIC would likely do the initial heavy lifting.
Singapore on-time loan repayments in 2025 hit post-COVID record high
It has jumped to 86%, when it hovered around 36% to 65% in 2020-2024.
Singapore banking sentiment slips in Q4 2025
Banking and insurance posted 55.7 whilst the wider business reading climbed to 53.4.
Malaysian banks face 1.6% net profit decline per 25bp OPR cut: report
OPR cuts could mean a profitability decline of -1.2% for Maybank and -5.3% for Bank Islam.
China holds 40% share as fintech competition intensifies
India posts 27% annual growth backed by over 100 billion UPI transactions.
Financial institutions chase AI edge despite thin budgets
Almost 2 in 3 FIs allocate 10% or less of their tech budgets on AI.
APAC small firms plan embedded finance investment in 12 months
Europe stands at 70% and Latin America at 65% according to a 2026 payments report.
Chinese banks face concentration risk from top borrowers
The stress test found banks from poorer regions as most vulnerable.
Financial-services M&A rises 40% as APAC recovery stays cautious
Average transaction size climbed to $815m as larger deals dominated the market.
China shifts bank lending as Beijing cuts direct steering
It has shifted to a market-based approach, from reliance on window guidance.
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