Weekly Brief Oct 07 IMF expects GCC economic contraction in 2026 while UAE lending grows TAB Middle East Weekly Brief: IMF sees GCC economic contraction in 2026 as Qatar links its government debt to Euroclear.... 707
Weekly Brief Oct 05 China eases borrowing costs as Australia tightens and global yields stay elevated The Asian Banker Weekly Brief: China reduces selected borrowing costs as Australia tightens policy. Weaker US hiring tempers rate expectations, but el... 1132
Weekly Brief Oct 01 Hong Kong adds tokenised deposit settlement to record digital green bond offering Financial Markets Weekly: Hong Kong prices $2.6 billion billion digital green bonds using tokenised deposits and Coinbase wins CFTC clearing approval.... 1292
Weekly Brief Oct 01 Mozambique downgraded to CCC as debt-restructuring risk rises TAB Africa Weekly Brief: S&P cuts Mozambique to CCC on Eurobond restructuring risk, Nigeria's yields fall after CBN rate reset and Angola sells Standa... 1289
Opinion Sep 30 The case for diversifying homeowner risk Mortgage finance has become highly sophisticated at measuring borrower risk. Credit scores, debt-to-income and loan-to-value ratios, mortgage insuranc... 612
Weekly Brief Sep 25 SFC targets 2027 launch for Southbound renminbi trading and REIT Connect TAB China Weekly Brief: SFC targets 2027 for renminbi Stock Connect upgrades; PBOC sets holiday liquidity operations; NFRA's Shanghai office curbs ban... 1236
Weekly Brief Sep 23 Partior and LSEG target prefunded nostro dependence in cross-border settlement Transaction Finance Weekly: Partior and LSEG DiSH built a multi-bank liquidity framework, HSBC expanded cross-border cash pooling in China and NPCI in... 788
Interviews Sep 22 Can Alex Bank turn high-margin lending into a broader banking franchise? Alex Bank is expanding beyond higher-margin personal and vehicle lending into transaction banking, small business lending and mortgages, testing wheth... 946
Weekly Brief Sep 17 Grab strengthens Southeast Asia consumer finance ecosystem with $1.49 billion Atome Financial acquisition Retail Finance Weekly: Grab expands into digital lending with Atome Financial deal, Revolut gains Colombia banking licence, Bank of Baroda pushes AI i... 1781
Weekly Brief Sep 14 EU limits impact of Basel trading rules on bank capital through 2029 Risk and Capital Weekly Brief: EU delays FRTB capital impacts through 2029, Canada cuts SME risk weights, Singapore proposes loss-absorbing capacity r... 1546
Weekly Brief Sep 10 Dangote’s $1.6 billion IPO opens a $14.3 billion financing programme TAB Africa Weekly Brief: Dangote Refinery launches $1.62 billion IPO to fund $14.3 billion expansion as AfDB unveils $5.1 billion crisis response.... 1135
Weekly Brief Sep 04 Deutsche Bank plans 15-to-two core overhaul as banks quantify AI gains Financial Technology Weekly: Deutsche Bank consolidates core systems as TD and CMB scale AI while regulators flag cyber-resilience risks.... 1165
Interviews Sep 03 Can BPI turn a more diversified loan book into sustainable growth? BPI president and CEO Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco is seeking to reduce the bank’s historical dependence on institutional lending by growing consu... 736
Weekly Brief Sep 02 Affirm returns to Australia as banks and fintechs target younger customers Retail Finance Weekly: Banks and fintechs globally deepened embedded and digital-asset finance this week, as Affirm re-entered Australia and Better-Co... 819
Weekly Brief Sep 01 Warsh puts inflation first, Bank of China leads Big Five profit growth The Asian Banker Weekly Brief: Warsh reshapes Fed guidance, Treasury targets Banque Misr, China's banks post profit gains and rate hikes continue in K... 906
Weekly Brief Aug 26 TNG eWallet adds GXBank credit, Zip reports record BNPL earnings Retail Finance Weekly: GXBank expands lending via TNG eWallet, Zip Co posts record BNPL profit, Experian adds ChatGPT credit scores.... 1507
Interview Notes Aug 26 Ngern Tid Lor extends lending and insurance support beyond transactions Ngern Tid Lor Public Company Limited is redefining financial inclusion through its lending and insurance brokerage businesses, moving beyond access t... 627
Conference Aug 22 Can data, AI and digital money expand what Philippine banks can profitably serve? At Finance Philippines, industry leaders examined how data and technology are changing the cost of assessing risk, serving customers and moving capita... 1227
Awards Ceremonies Aug 21 The Asian Banker Middle East Awards 2026 highlight advances in wealth management, SME banking, digital lending and automation Across the Middle East, The Asian Banker’s 2026 Awards reflect banks strengthening wealth management, SME banking, digital lending and business inte... 1631
Weekly Brief Aug 19 Indonesia expands retail credit through QRIS, Klarna cuts outlook despite return to profit Retail Finance Weekly: Klarna cuts its 2026 outlook despite returning to profit, Nubank tops $1 billion in quarterly profit and BofA takes a stake in ... 1244
Weekly Brief Aug 19 Standard Bank and Absa increase earnings, AFC leads $2.5 billion equity placement for Dangote Refinery TAB Africa Weekly Brief: Standard Bank and Absa post stronger first-half earnings, whi AFC raises $2.5 billion for Dangote's refinery and CHF 350 mill... 1274
Weekly Brief Aug 18 Banco do Brasil’s agribusiness delinquencies rise, UBS capital proposal remains unresolved Risk and Capital Weekly Brief: Banco do Brasil's agribusiness delinquencies climb, Swiss lawmakers defer UBS's CET1 proposal, China's NPL ratio rises ... 1295
Weekly Brief Aug 17 China records $50 billion bank-lending contraction, Bank of America enters Indian consumer credit with Jio Financial The Asian Banker Weekly Brief: China's bank lending contracts by a record RMB340 billion, US inflation eases to 3.4%, Japan's GDP growth slows to 0.3%... 3319
News Analysis Aug 13 Can growth sectors sustain OCBC’s loan momentum? OCBC expects digital infrastructure, energy and other selected industries to support lending over the next few years. As exceptional second-quarter gr... 1500
Weekly Brief Aug 12 Mercado Pago grows credit portfolio 75%, Revolut secures French banking licence Retail Finance Weekly: Mercado Pago's credit portfolio grew 75% to $16 billion, Revolut secured a French banking licence, Nu México became a fully li... 1480
Weekly Brief Aug 12 Kenya keeps rates at 8.75%, Afreximbank extends record EUR 110 million facility to Chad TAB Africa Weekly Brief: Kenya holds its policy rate at 8.75% and approves its first banking-sector ETF, Afreximbank extends Chad a EUR 110 million fa... 1353
Weekly Brief Aug 10 China expands currency swaps with Malaysia and Argentina, Singapore banks grow fee income The Asian Banker Weekly Brief: China expands currency swaps with Malaysia and Argentina, Singapore banks grow fee income as margins narrow, Westpac mo... 1598
Weekly Brief Aug 05 HSBC exits two retail markets, Standard Chartered transfers Singapore lending portfolio to Trust Retail Finance Weekly: HSBC exits Australian and Egyptian retail banking through sales to Blackstone and Emirates NBD, while Visa agrees to acquire Bi... 2391
Weekly Brief Aug 04 Emirates NBD expands in Egypt, UAE banking assets reach $1.53 trillion TAB Middle East Weekly Brief: Emirates NBD moved to acquire HSBC Egypt's retail banking business, UAE banking assets climbed to $1.53 trillion and Ma... 1318
Weekly Brief Aug 03 Hong Kong banks confront quantum-readiness gap, Lombard Odier faces $3.7 million fine Risk and Capital Weekly Brief: HKMA's new Quantum Preparedness Index shows early-stage readiness at Hong Kong banks, while Lombard Odier faces a CHF 3... 980
Weekly Brief Jul 30 X enters financial services with accounts, cards and payments Retail Finance Weekly: X launches X Money, Upstart secures a conditional bank charter, PayPal lifts payment volume to $486.4 billion, and DBS expands ... 2187
Weekly Brief Jul 22 Revolut enters Australian banking, Pix caught in US-Brazil trade dispute Revolut wins an Australian banking licence, Stripe and Advent reportedly bid $53 billion for PayPal, and Pix enters a US trade dispute, leading a week... 1376
Weekly Brief Jul 20 EU proposes freer movement of bank capital and liquidity, JPMorgan questions US capital reset This week, the European Commission proposed freer capital and liquidity movement across banking groups, JPMorgan pushed back on uneven US capital refo... 1021
Interviews Jul 17 How is HSBC applying corporate lending discipline to pre-profit start-ups? HSBC's Innovation Banking unit is moving earlier into start-ups' lifecycles across Southeast Asia, tying credit decisions to institutional backing and... 1443
Interviews Jul 17 How is UOB Thailand turning integration complexity into retail profitability? UOB Thailand's retail arm is shifting from scale-driven growth to profitability-led restructuring, using segmentation, digital wealth sales and analyt... 1166
Weekly Brief Jul 07 Standard Chartered completes remittance in 37 seconds as Swift's new payments scheme goes live In transaction finance this week, Standard Chartered completes the world's first live remittance under Swift's new retail payments scheme, as UK banks... 749
Co-published Jul 03 What the best retail bank is doing differently Bank of China (Hong Kong), assessed by TAB Global as the best retail bank in the world, Asia Pacific, and Hong Kong for 2026, offers a compelling exam... 2734
Interviews Jun 18 GX Bank integrates AI to scale fraud detection, risk management and business intelligence Caroline Chong, Head of Data at GX Bank, discusses how Malaysia's first licensed digital bank built in-house AI tools to manage surging transaction an... 2417
Interviews Jun 12 How Alliance Bank is building an everyday banking franchise Alliance Bank Malaysia is using digital engagement, ecosystem partnerships and technology investments to position itself as an everyday banking platfo... 1460
Awards Ceremonies Jun 11 Vietnamese banks recognised for digital innovation, SME finance and wealth management at The Asian Banker Vietnam Awards 2026 TNEX, VietinBank, BIDV, and Vietcombank were recognised for achievements in digital banking, SME services, wealth management, transaction finance and ... 2586
Weekly Brief Jun 01 Central banks recalibrate while agentic AI moves into production Diverging monetary policy and rapid AI adoption reshape banking risk this week, as Fed vice chair Bowman signals no rate hike, BOJ's Ueda flags oil-sh... 703
Interviews May 21 What does Trust Bank’s profitable month say about digital banking economics in Singapore? Trust Bank’s first profitable month in March 2026 is an important milestone, but the more meaningful question is whether it signals that digital ban... 3049
Current Account May 19 HSBC launches $4B credit facility for China's clean energy and low-carbon companies HSBC has established a $4 billion Sustainability and Transition Credit Facility in mainland China to provide financing to eligible companies in clean ... 1968
Awards Ceremonies May 14 Bank Indonesia, Security Bank, Alliance Bank, Tonik and Bank Sinopac recognised for achievements in technology innovation The Financial Technology Innovation Awards 2026 have recognized leading-edge advancements across Asia Pacific’s banking and financial services indus... 2105
Weekly Brief May 04 Rate paths diverge as banks report record first-quarter results The BOJ, Fed and ECB all hold rates but diverge sharply on signals, as record first-quarter earnings at UBS, US banks and Standard Chartered mask earl... 591
Interviews Apr 30 Cross-border financing follows supply chains and restructures risk across markets Cathay United Bank is restructuring its cross-border corporate banking model as Taiwanese corporates decentralise production, requiring financing to b... 3414
Interviews Apr 14 Awash Bank strengthens MSME lending through capability building and risk discipline Ethiopia's Awash Bank is repositioning its MSME banking model beyond traditional lending by integrating capability building and risk management to bet... 2603
Analysis Apr 06 Al Rajhi Bank posts 26% profit growth, driven by diversification and lending shift Al Rajhi Bank’s profit grew by 26% in 2025, supported by balanced loan growth, a shift toward SMEs and corporates, and expanding investment banking ... 4129
Analysis Mar 25 JPMorgan Chase posts $57B profit in 2025, plans $105B spend as rate tailwinds fade JPMorgan Chase closed 2025 with $57 billion in net income and a 20% ROTCE, but the results point to a structural shift that will define the bank’s 2... 9888
Analysis Mar 17 FAB closes 2025 with 24% net earnings growth as AI deployment anchors core banking operations First Abu Dhabi Bank reported 24% net profit growth and improved operating efficiency, as revenue expansion and disciplined cost management reduced t... 6619
Analysis Mar 06 QNB posts 10% pre-tax profit growth as LNG-driven financing and 2030 strategy reshape its trajectory Qatar National Bank reported 10% pre-tax profit growth in 2025, strengthening its balance sheet and launching a 2030 strategy focused on GCC connectiv... 3318
Interviews Mar 05 CIMB reorients SME banking around transaction data and cash-flow lending across ASEAN In 2025, CIMB's SME banking in Southeast Asia focused on transaction capture, deposit stability, and cash-flow visibility. Lawrence Loh, co-CEO, outli... 5640
Current Account Feb 25 Bank of America sees diverging domestic cycles reshaping ASEAN bank credit growth and margins AI-driven export strength supports ASEAN, according to BoFA economists Kai Wei And and Rahul Bajoria but diverging output gaps and uneven policy trans... 2309
Interviews Feb 06 Alliance Bank builds Digital SME lending engine around fraud controls and financial capability Kevin Shum, head, digital SME, business transformation and merchant acquiring, group business and transaction banking at Alliance Bank Malaysia, set o... 3513
Interviews Feb 02 Alliance Bank embeds digital lending through virtual cards, partnerships and unified origination Alliance Bank Malaysia is reworking its consumer lending economics by embedding credit products into partner ecosystems such as e-wallets and e-commer... 3550
Analysis Jan 30 Global banking in an age of constrained resilience Global banking enters 2026 with strong capital positions and easing financial conditions but faces a structurally more constrained environment shaped ... 3977
Interviews Jan 27 Hong Leong Bank builds SME operating leverage through relationship-led banking Woon Siew Hoong explains how Hong Leong Bank’s SME franchise delivered resilient 2025 performance through focus on micro and small businesses, relat... 3506
Interviews Jan 20 TNEX and the mechanics of digital lending TNEX CEO Nguyen The Minh explains how lending economics, funding structure and regulatory constraints shape the company’s development as a digital f... 3718
Co-published Dec 10 E.SUN leads Taiwan’s banking sector in SME financing and fraud prevention E.SUN Bank is strengthening Taiwan’s financial ecosystem through AI-driven credit evaluation, advanced fraud prevention and deep support for SMEs. I... 3801
Awards Ceremonies Nov 21 First Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Punjab, Stanbic IBTC, Absa, Al Rajhi Bank and BDO Unibank recognised for excellence in retail finance, SME banking and transaction finance First Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Punjab, Stanbic IBTC, Absa, Al Rajhi Bank and BDO Unibank were recognised at The TAB Global Finance Awards 2025.... 3554
Interviews Oct 17 Bank of Punjab’s digital strategy confronts challenges in SME expansion Through a digital-first strategy targeting SMEs and agriculture, the Bank of Punjab is expanding financial inclusion in Pakistan, balancing innovation... 3191
Interviews Oct 13 Swiss-regulated AMINA Bank launches Hong Kong hub for Asia’s digital-asset markets AMINA Bank expands to Asia with a Hong Kong hub, offering institutional-grade custody, lending and trading under Swiss-regulated digital-asset standar... 5471
Site Visits Sep 15 AI and digital finance in practice at OneConnect, Lexin and WeBank Delegates of the China AI Innovation Study Tour visited OneConnect, Lexin and WeBank in Shenzhen. ... 5379
Site Visits Sep 10 From banking transformation to AI-driven finance and robotics in action Delegates explored SPDB’s financial innovation, MYbank’s AI-driven SME banking, and DeepRobotics demonstrations on day two of China AI Innovation ... 3628
Opinion Sep 09 The future of lending isn’t just automated — it’s autonomous Agentic AI is reshaping lending by handling routine tasks and freeing bankers to focus on strategy, clients and growth.... 3739
Awards Ceremonies Aug 16 UnionBank, BDO and RCBC recognised for excellence in wealth management, transaction banking and cash management in the Philippines UnionBank, BDO and RCBC were recognised at The Asian Banker Philippine Awards 2025 in Manila.... 9392
Leadership Awards Aug 15 Fabian S. Dee awarded Best Bank CEO in the Philippines for leading Metrobank's growth and digital transformation Fabian S. Dee’s visionary leadership has driven Metrobank’s steady growth, financial resilience, business expansion, operational excellence, talen... 6661
Interviews Jul 28 RHB anchors ASEAN growth with disciplined PROGRESS27 execution RHB Banking Group is translating internal transformation into regional execution under PROGRESS27. Singapore anchors this shift as the group aligns pl... 4899
Interviews Jul 10 Kasikornbank’s Home to Cash enhances secured lending with flexible hybrid structure Kasikornbank’s Home to Cash has emerged as one of the secured loan innovations in Thailand, combining term loans and overdraft features into a singl... 4665
Interviews Mar 06 How Techcombank is driving growth and innovation in Vietnam’s banking sector Techcombank reported a 20.3% increase in profit before tax for 2024, driven by strong credit growth, digital innovation and fee-based income. CFO Alex... 21566
Interviews Jan 02 Boost Bank's CEO on bridging financial gaps in Malaysia Fozia Amanulla discusses Boost Bank's unique approach to digital banking and its commitment to serving underserved communities.... 8072
Interviews Nov 24 Cambodian banking association focuses on consumer protection, industry stability and resilience Rath Sophoan, chairman of the Association of Banks in Cambodia and Raymond Sia, vice chairman, discussed the priorities for Cambodia’s banking secto... 4986
Opinion Oct 19 Why South Asia and SEA will lead the future of fintech lending South Asia and Southeast Asia are poised to dominate fintech lending, driven by unique growth factors and supportive ecosystems.... 4808
Aug 26 Taiwan’s leading banks prioritise innovation, regional expansion, and sustainability Industry leaders convened at Finance Taiwan to discuss the future of digital finance, regional expansion strategies, and the integration of sustainabi... 5455
Interviews Aug 08 Allo Bank harnesses AI for strategic digital expansion Allo Bank is leveraging AI, strategic partnerships, and customer-centric products to drive growth and aim to accelerate its trajectory to profitabilit... 11330
Interviews Jul 02 Cake Vietnam digital bank aims for profitability by end 2024 Leveraging advanced AI, the bank aims to be among the top 5% of profitable digital-only banks globally by the end of 2024, transforming digital bankin... 10043
Interviews May 30 GXBank’s Lai Pei Si: “We’re a motley crew of technologists and bankers with a clear purpose to build the bank forward” GXBank is the frontrunner in inclusive, technology-driven financial services in Malaysia. Its CEO Lai Pei Si discussed the bank’s journey since its ... 7411
Speeches and Presentations May 24 Innovation and resilience—What’s on the supervisors’ radar? In his opening keynote at The Asian Banker Summit 2024, Arthur Yuen, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, explored the dual imp... 6189
Interviews Apr 29 Sean Kiernan on blockchain: “Crypto bridges real-world capital needs” Banking innovator Sean Kiernan from Greengage discussed how they use crypto-collateralised loans to help SMEs, stressing the importance of partnership... 6356
Excerpt Feb 20 HNB drives growth amid Sri Lanka's economic odds Hatton National Bank (HNB) defies Sri Lanka's macroeconomic constraints by delivering outstanding retail banking performance in 2023. Sanjay Wijemanne... 5734
Interviews Jan 19 TymeBank becomes South Africa’s first profitable digital bank The bank achieved profitability in less than five years, with co-founder and CEO Coen Jonker highlighting the company’s success in South Africa and ... 11833
Excerpts Sep 28 LINE BK expands into wealth and insurance services Digital bank LINE BK is diversifying into wealth management and SME lending to strengthen its position as a holistic financial service provider ... 10005
Aug 24 Cloud migration— Pandora’s box of data, culture and core replacement The cloud was the main topic of discussion at a tech roundtable, with leaders in digital innovation describing their experiences in core migration, ch... 6651
Panel discussion Aug 23 Digital money changes everything Financial industry leaders and decision-makers assess the banking and financial regulatory landscape over the course of digitalisation, fintech innova... 7464
Interviews May 23 Signature Bank shutdown explained Author Emmanuel Daniel, founder of The Asian Banker, ignited a lively discussion with former US congressman Barney Frank and SC Ventures head Alex Man... 12568
Interviews Aug 19 Kilde’s Radek Jezbera: “BNPLs are misunderstood, the unit economics works” Radek Jezbera, co-CEO of alternative investment platform Kilde discussed the performance of private debt instruments against publicly traded assets an... 8143
Interviews Jul 08 Alejandro McCormack: “N1CO, first digital bank in El Salvador” Alejandro McCormack, COO and executive director of N1CO discussed with Emmanuel Daniel how N1CO, a digital bank in El Salvador is leading the financia... 25255
interviews Jan 11 Alex Bank’s Simon Beitz: “We focus on a higher margin for risk opportunities in consumer finance” Simon Beitz, founder and CEO and Craig Fenwick, co-founder and CFO at Alex Bank share their business model, strategic plans for future growth and how ... 20726
interviews Apr 14 FinAccel's Garg: "Credit data is a challenge for BNPL in Indonesia" Akshay Garg, CEO and founder of FinAccel that operates the credit finance platform Kredivo, shared challenges and strategic perspectives of credit-bas... 13407
Opinion Aug 24 Responsible lenders must respond to COVID-19’s realities What should a responsible lending business look like? Against the backdrop of COVID-19, the answer isn’t so straightforward. ... 7344
Case Study Nov 28 Yirendai, China’s largest P2P consumer finance platform, expands beyond lending Yirendai, the largest P2P online consumer finance marketplace in China, offers services that are based on technology-driven innovations such as big da... 11799
Case Study Oct 10 Innovation comes to mortgage loans with flexible repayments The innovative Feng Yun mortgage offers a 40-year loan with fully flexible changes in repayment terms and customers can use online tools to check the ... 6303
Interviews Aug 29 AL Ahli Bank’s Lockie: “We wanted to make sure that our foundation is ready to be able to adapt what is to come from digital offerings” ... 8815
Case Study Apr 18 How Funding Societies is leveraging on technology to create a sustainable P2P lending platform ... 12033
Proceedings Report Sep 18 Peer-to-peer in Southeast Asia: Must disruptors turn to collaborators? ... 5780
TABLive Jun 14 Bizfi's Donovan: "The company is about 70% balance sheet and 30% marketplace" ... 4998
TABLive Apr 11 It is not a fear that the marketplace lending model does not work. It is really a diversification ... 10816
Interviews May 16 Interview: “China is creating more capital market-enabled financial systems through technology platforms” ... 8689
Interviews Mar 01 Interview Transcript: “Banks cannot compete with P2P unless they are digital banks ... 6372
Research Note Jan 06 Indonesia: Bank Central Asia and Bank Mandiri—Spurring retail loans and exploring digital lending ... 10402
Research Note Jan 05 Hong Kong banks: increasing retail operations under a tighter regulatory regime ... 8353
Research Note Feb 25 Australia focused on sustaining growth in 2015 Can the industry withstand the current combination of low interest rates, strong housing price growth and higher household indebtedness?... 3378
