In the first full year of its six-year Forward30 plan, CIMB Group Holdings delivered net profit of MYR 7.9 billion (approximately $1.7 billion) and an 11.3% return on equity — absorbing persistent rate cuts and Malaysian ringgit appreciation across ASEAN — as its client franchise and fee income businesses outpaced headline income growth.

Strong income generation, disciplined cost management and stable asset quality lifted OCBC’s 2025 profit before tax to $6.8 billion, as rising client deposits increasingly served as the entry point for wealth, treasury and insurance monetisation across the group’s integrated franchise.

HSBC’s 2025 performance showcases its transformation into a more agile, focused bank, achieving a 17.2% RoTE through strategic investments in Asia and the Middle East, alongside strong growth in deposits and wealth management.

Maybank closes its M25+ cycle with a 4.2% rise in net profit to MYR 10.51 billion ($2.4 billion), achieving an 11.7% ROE, driven by strong wealth fees and margin resilience, as the bank transitions into its ROAR 30 strategy.

In 2025, Emirates NBD leveraged scale and regional corridor-led expansion to sustain growth. Saudi Arabia was a key driver, expanding the bank’s footprint in a high-growth, liquidity-tight market, while its India strategy is set to deepen the UAE–India corridor, enhancing cross-border connectivity and directing capital toward high-growth opportunities.

UOB’s 2025 performance reflects disciplined risk buffering as pre-emptive provisioning weighed on earnings, while record fee income, resilient ASEAN momentum and diversified income streams reinforced balance sheet strength and operating stability.

RCBC's retail banking transformation centres on employee-focused programmes designed to improve financial inclusion and increase customer engagement. Through initiatives like ACCESS, Hexagon Club and Kabalikat, the bank is shifting away from traditional product-led models to create relationships that span deposits, lending and digital engagement.

Singapore shifts from financial sandbox to deploying stablecoins, embedding tokenised money into its financial system.

BPI’s mobile banking platform has grown to 8.75 million users as the bank shifts away from transaction-led revenue towards an engagement-driven digital model. By prioritising digital onboarding, customer acquisition and ecosystem integration, BPI is positioning its mobile platform as the primary interface for customer relationships, long-term profitability and financial inclusion.

Standard Chartered reported operating income of $20.9 billion for 2025, up 6% year-on-year at constant currency, with underlying profit before tax rising 18% to $7.9 billion and return on tangible equity reaching 14.7%, exceeding its upgraded ~13% milestone a full year ahead of schedule.

AI-driven export strength is lifting parts of ASEAN’s outlook, according to Bank of America’s Kai Wei Ang and Rahul Bajoria, but widening divergence in output gaps and monetary transmission is reshaping bank credit growth and margins across markets.

Hang Seng Bank’s head of retail banking and wealth, Rannie Lee, explains how the bank is reshaping its retail and wealth operating model around family-centred financial planning, disciplined execution in everyday banking and continuous innovation across branches, digital channels and frontline tools, while positioning the franchise to serve both Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area customers sustainably.

Stephen Davies, CEO of Javelin Wealth Management, discusses Singapore’s role as a wealth hub, regulatory discipline, multi-jurisdiction structuring and the role of long-term planning in managing private capital.

Diego De Giorgi’s move from Standard Chartered to Apollo Global Management comes as institutional investors continue expanding their role in credit markets alongside banks, supported by insurance-linked liabilities and credit distribution structures.

Authorities will examine origination, mobilisation and recycling of capital while seeking to attract regional companies and technology startups to raise funds through Singapore.