Malaysia’s 2026 outlook is improving as analysts point to resilient domestic demand, steady services activity and continued investment, even as external risks linger. Kenanga Research said momentum could deliver upside toward 5% growth in 2026 but kept its base forecast at 4.5%, citing a mixed export outlook despite firm semiconductor shipments and a policy push for industrial upgrading. Hong Leong Investment Bank raised its 2026 GDP forecast to 4.7%, above the finance minist

Bank of Singapore has hired an alternatives specialist to strengthen its ultra-high-net-worth offering as demand for customised products rises across Asia’s private wealth market. The OCBC-backed private bank appointed Bernard Heng as head of customised solutions, effective March 2, according to a statement. Heng will report to Lim Leong Guan, global head of the investment solutions group, and will lead the development and execution of complex products tailored to UHNW client

Private equity allocation by Asia family offices is set to rise as investors adapt to geopolitical risks and inflation, according to a 2026 global survey by J.P. Morgan Private Bank. The study covered 333 family offices across 30 countries, including key Asia hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong, and found portfolios remain heavily tilted toward public equities and private investments, which together account for more than two-thirds of assets. About 37% of Asia family offices

Hong Kong CEOs revenue growth outlook outpaced global peers, with 98% expecting revenue to rise over the next three years, according to PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey. The poll of 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories found 87% globally forecast growth. More than half of Hong Kong chief executives, 58%, reported revenue increases from AI, while 17% said they achieved both revenue growth and cost reductions, above the 12% global average. PwC said 56% of Hong Kong CEOs c

Hong Kong regulated crypto trading tools are being expanded as the Securities and Futures Commission loosened rules to allow licensed brokers to provide margin financing for digital-asset trading while setting guardrails for more leveraged products to deepen market liquidity. The SFC said brokers may extend financing to clients with strong credit profiles and adequate collateral, initially limited to bitcoin and ether but potentially expanded later. It also issued a high-leve

South Korea crypto exchange inspections were widened as regulators launched on-site checks of major platforms days after Bithumb mistakenly credited customers with 620,000 so-called ghost bitcoins. An emergency task force comprising regulators and the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance will inspect Upbit, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax, focusing on asset-verification procedures and internal controls, authorities said in a report to the National Assembly. The Financial Supervisory Ser

Maybank deposit tokens cross-border payments are being tested as Maybank and Malaysia’s Yinson Holdings pilot a tokenised ringgit under Bank Negara Malaysia’s Digital Asset Innovation Hub. Maybank said the pilot uses its permissioned blockchain to run on-chain transactions involving ringgit and other ASEAN deposit tokens, with Yinson as the first corporate participant. Bank Negara launched the hub in June 2025 as a regulatory sandbox to trial programmable money and ringgit-ba

Strategic philanthropy, unlike traditional philanthropy where donation is the goal itself, employs a comprehensive framework optimizing effectiveness through three pillars: governance and relationship, social value alignment, and resource deployment systems. Developed from global foundation references, this structure addresses generational shifts, wealth creation, and new impact models, enabling philanthropy to align with the society, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders fo

Hong Kong single-family offices growth accelerated to 3,384 by end-2025, up 25% in two years, contributing HKD12.6bn (USD1.6bn) a year to the economy, Deloitte said, citing a survey of 136 sector participants conducted in October–December 2025. The count was up by 681 from the fourth quarter of 2023, with surveyed offices’ wealth origins led by mainland China and Hong Kong. Family offices cited uncertainty in U.S. markets and geopolitical volatility as factors driving a refoc

Chubb wealth platform Hong Kong has been launched as the Zurich-based insurer targets high-net-worth individuals with fund investment and advisory services and access to alternatives with lower minimums. Chubb said the platform, called Chubb Wealth, will offer a digital onboarding experience, a low and transparent fee structure and a curated menu of funds, while providing alternative investment opportunities with minimum commitments starting at USD10,000. Clients will be supp

Hong Kong brokers 2026 outlook remains upbeat, with more than 40% calling the city the most attractive investment market this year despite rising costs, stiff competition and tighter regulation, an industry survey showed. The Hong Kong Securities Association said its poll of 152 responses found over half were optimistic on Hong Kong equities, including 8% who were very optimistic. Mainland China ranked second, cited by about 30% of respondents, while nearly 60% viewed the U.S

Vietnam crypto transfer tax proposal would exempt cryptocurrency transfers and trading from value-added tax while imposing a 0.1% personal income tax on the gross value of each transfer, mirroring the levy used for securities transactions, according to a draft circular opened for public consultation by the finance ministry. Individual investors would pay the tax regardless of residency status. For organisations established in Vietnam, income from crypto-asset transfers would

Family offices emerging managers strategies were in focus at the Tokyo Asset Management Forum, where investors said new managers can diversify portfolios through niche strategies and impact investing while still targeting higher returns, even as shorter track records and liquidity constraints remain hurdles. Leo Lum, an investment manager at Singapore-based family office Khattar Holdings, said new managers can outperform in private markets and smaller funds can focus on very

Hong Kong family office tax breaks precious metals coverage will be expanded as the city plans to broaden preferential regimes for funds and family offices to include investments in precious metals, including gold-linked exchange-traded funds, Financial Services and the Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui said. Hui also said Hong Kong and Shenzhen have signed a memorandum to jointly develop gold processing and trading, encouraging collaboration between Hong Kong merchants and

AIIB Keppel private credit fund commitment will reach up to USD125m after the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank agreed to back Keppel Private Credit Fund III, the companies said. Keppel said the pledge includes a USD75m investment and a co-investment sleeve of up to USD50m, lifting the fund’s funds under management to more than USD561m. It is AIIB’s first investment under a strategic partnership signed in June 2025 that aims to mobilise up to USD1.5bn of sustainable infras

Singapore household wealth top 20% averaged SGD5.3m (USD3.9m) in 2023, driven mainly by property assets worth SGD3.4m, the Ministry of Finance said in its first comprehensive release of household wealth data. The ministry defines net wealth as total assets minus liabilities, with assets spanning property, net CPF balances and other financial assets, while liabilities are largely mortgages. Across all wealth groups, home equity and CPF balances were the biggest components, and

Family offices private equity diversification is accelerating as investors shift more capital into private equity and other alternatives while broadening jurisdictions to manage geopolitical and regulatory risks, according to Ocorian’s 2025 Family Office Report cited by Circle Family Office founder Amin Naj. Pureprofile surveyed 200 family office leaders, family members and advisers in June 2025 and found more than 75% plan to materially increase private equity allocations ov

UBS Hong Kong wealth hiring plans include about 50 new bankers for its wealth business after its North Asia franchise posted record revenue last year, with recruitment focused on high net-worth clients as the bank looks to broaden beyond its recent emphasis on billionaires, Asia-Pacific wealth co-head Amy Lo said. UBS brought in USD62.5bn of net new assets in Asia in 2025, helped by Hong Kong’s active IPO market and so-called win-back flows after the integration of Credit Sui

Hong Kong digital finance strategy was in focus at a forum convened by the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit to discuss how the city can support China’s push to become a financial powerhouse by advancing digital finance use cases, balancing regulation with development and linking more closely with mainland infrastructure. The forum brought together participants from Hong Kong and mainland China, including researchers from the People’s Bank of China’s research institute, members o

South Korea crypto regulation crackdown calls intensified after the financial watchdog said Bithumb’s accidental distribution of more than USD40bn worth of bitcoin to customers showed the need for tougher rules to address vulnerabilities in trading systems. Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin said regulators will factor in lessons from the incident as they pursue legislation to bring digital assets under tighter oversight, and flagged concerns including so-cal