Singapore family offices are attracting growing inflows of wealth from Taiwan as high-net-worth families diversify assets in response to rising geopolitical tensions across the Taiwan Strait, according to advisers and wealthy investors interviewed by Bloomberg News. The trend reflects increasing demand for politically stable jurisdictions offering sophisticated wealth management, succession planning and cross-border investment capabilities. An E.Sun Bank and KPMG Taiwan repor

The Philippines upper-middle income classification has been restored by the World Bank after the country's gross national income per capita increased to a record USD4,850, reflecting several years of sustained economic expansion. The milestone is expected to enhance the country's international investment profile while strengthening confidence among foreign investors and financial institutions. The Philippines had remained in the lower middle-income category since 1987 and nar

Wiki Finance Expo Hong Kong 2026 will bring together global investors, technology companies and financial institutions when it takes place at Hong Kong's Hopewell Hotel on July 23-24. Organisers describe the event as Asia's largest conference dedicated to financial technology, foreign exchange and cryptocurrency, reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a regional hub for digital finance and innovation. The event is expected to attract more than 12,000 participants from over 120 c

Singapore China capital markets cooperation has been reinforced after the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the China Securities Regulatory Commission reaffirmed their commitment to closer supervisory and regulatory collaboration during their 10th annual supervisory roundtable held in Singapore on June 29. Officials reviewed developments in both equity markets, including Singapore's Equity Market Development Programme and reforms to China's STAR Market and ChiNext exchanges

Global financial institutions are increasingly prioritising South Korea for regional expansion while adopting a more cautious approach towards China and India, according to a joint survey by the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association and KPMG. The South Korea financial sector has become one of the region's fastest-growing destinations for international financial firms. Approximately two-thirds of the 34 institutions surveyed plan to expand across Asia-Pacifi

Family offices across Asia-Pacific are adopting a more institutional investment approach, moving beyond traditional trophy properties and wealth preservation strategies into sectors offering stronger long-term growth and recurring income, according to the Asia Pacific Real Assets Association (Aprea). The shift in family office real estate investment reflects growing demand for diversified portfolios supported by professional governance and specialist investment teams. The rep

Ares Management is seeking commitments for a new Asia private credit fund as global alternative asset managers compete to capture expanding lending opportunities across the region. The proposed Asia private credit vehicle, Asia Direct Lending II, is expected to finance leveraged buyout transactions throughout Asia-Pacific and could exceed the USD1.7bn raised by its predecessor. People familiar with the fundraising said details remain under discussion and Ares declined to comm

China's new outbound investment rules, effective from July 1, are expected to reshape rather than reduce overseas expansion by Chinese companies using Singapore as their regional base, according to entrepreneurs, investors and advisers. The China outbound investment rules introduce more comprehensive supervision while maintaining support for international business expansion. The regulations establish "full-process supervision" over outbound investments and extend national sec

Shanghai should strengthen its role as China's principal financial centre for companies expanding internationally, potentially increasing competition with Hong Kong, according to Shanghai Finance Institute vice-president Liu Xiaochun. The Shanghai financial hub proposal argues that growing outbound investment requires broader financial support than a single international centre can provide. Liu acknowledged Hong Kong's established position as a mature global financial hub but

Japan's private equity market maintained strong momentum during 2025, with deal value reaching JPY4.8tr (USD29.8bn), marking the fifth consecutive year above JPY3tr, according to Bain & Company's Japan Private Equity Report 2026. The Japan private equity market continues to benefit from governance reforms, larger buyout transactions and improving operational performance. Exit value reached a record JPY2.4tr as sponsors disposed of older investments, while transactions exceedi

Singapore is establishing a Future of Finance Institute to accelerate financial innovation through greater adoption of artificial intelligence, tokenisation and emerging financial technologies, the Monetary Authority of Singapore announced. The Singapore financial innovation initiative is intended to help transform successful pilot projects into large-scale commercial deployment. The institute will bring together financial institutions, fintech firms, technology companies and

Hong Kong is preparing further legal and regulatory enhancements to support wider adoption of distributed ledger technology within its fixed-income markets following completion of the first phase of a government-led review. The Hong Kong tokenised bonds initiative aims to strengthen the city's position as a leading digital capital-markets centre. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority concluded that the existing legal framework is

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important source of investment research, but affluent investors continue to rely on professional advisers when making major financial decisions, according to HSBC Hong Kong. The AI investment advice survey highlights growing adoption of digital tools while reinforcing the enduring value of human expertise. The study, covering nearly 10,000 investors across 10 markets, found that more than three-quarters of Hong Kong responde

The global population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals expanded at its fastest pace in eight years during 2025, driven largely by rapid wealth creation across Asia, according to Altrata’s World Ultra Wealth Report 2026. The ultra-high-net-worth individuals population increased 14.4% to a record 556,850 people worldwide. Combined wealth reached approximately USD63.8tr, including around USD26tr in investable assets. The United States remained the largest UHNW market with 37%

China’s National Audit Office has identified significant China financial irregularities involving several leading state-backed financial institutions, reinforcing Beijing’s campaign to strengthen governance and reduce systemic financial risks. The findings involve Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China and China Everbright Group. According to the audit, Bank of China used affiliated financial institutions and nominal employee investors to classify 11 private investment fun

Fundraising has overtaken exits as the biggest challenge confronting Asia-Pacific private equity and venture capital firms, according to new research by DealStreetAsia and Vistra Fund Solutions. The APAC private capital survey found investors have become increasingly selective as geopolitical uncertainty and tighter liquidity reshape fundraising conditions. Among 105 senior industry executives surveyed, 57.5% identified fundraising as the principal source of friction, compare

Hong Kong is on course for one of its strongest initial public offering performances in recent years, with EY forecasting that the Hong Kong IPO market will deliver 84 listings raising HKD209.8bn (USD26.8bn) during the first half of 2026. The projected fundraising would rank Hong Kong second globally and represents proceeds 92% above the average first-half level recorded over the past five years. EY maintained its full-year forecast of HKD320bn in IPO proceeds, citing a robus

Southeast Asia has become the leading international expansion destination for Chinese companies, with finance executives increasingly viewing the region as the primary engine for future growth, according to new research from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. The Southeast Asia growth outlook reflects changing global supply chains and rising cross-border investment opportunities. ACCA’s CFO Leadership in Globalisation study found that 57% of Chinese finance l

JPMorgan has appointed Kelvin Goh and Alfons Halim as co-heads of its Southeast Asia investment banking business, reinforcing its regional leadership team as deal activity continues to recover across Asia. The JPMorgan Southeast Asia appointments took effect immediately and form part of the bank’s ongoing investment in regional advisory capabilities. Both executives will remain based in Singapore while retaining their existing responsibilities. Goh continues as head of the As

South Korea will continue pursuing inclusion in MSCI’s developed-market index after the country remained classified as an emerging market because of unresolved foreign-exchange restrictions. The South Korea MSCI decision highlights continuing concerns among international investors over market accessibility despite ongoing regulatory reforms. MSCI said limited offshore convertibility of the Korean won and insufficient onshore liquidity during extended foreign-exchange trading