Family office governance and business succession are among the expanding priorities of the Advisory Board Centre as organisations navigate artificial intelligence, geopolitical uncertainty, and changing global markets. The organisation held its Megatrends Summit 2026 in Melbourne on October 9, bringing together advisers to examine how technological disruption and economic uncertainty are reshaping business strategy and governance. Discussions focused on the role of advisory b

IMF Asia AI growth projections suggest that accelerating investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure could provide a significant boost to economic activity across the region. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the AI investment boom is helping sustain global economic growth at approximately 3%, with Asian economies benefiting particularly from demand for technology hardware. According to Georgieva, AI investment could increase eco

The HKMA investment summit is expected to attract senior executives from leading international financial institutions when Hong Kong hosts its fifth Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit from November 2 to 4. Executives from HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Citadel Securities are expected to participate, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the preparations. Representatives from Standard Chartered, Franklin Templeton, State Street, and Bain Capit

Tighter offshore trust rules in China are creating uncertainty over Singapore’s appeal to wealthy Chinese families, as Beijing increases scrutiny of offshore trusts and overseas investments following the city-state’s own anti-money-laundering crackdown. Wealth advisers said enquiries from Chinese clients seeking to establish trusts and family offices had slowed, with some plans paused while investors assessed the tax changes. Singapore had more than 2,000 single-family office

Family offices in Asia are expanding beyond property, listed equities and direct business holdings into private equity, infrastructure and alternative investments, as younger generations seek greater diversification and flexibility, EQT executive Sueann Yeo said. Secondaries have become a core portfolio tool, providing diversified private market exposure and distinct cash-flow profiles, while evergreen structures are attracting interest for their greater liquidity flexibility

Changes to Hong Kong’s retail fund rules will give managers greater flexibility while strengthening investor safeguards, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said. Enhancements to the Code on Unit Trusts and Mutual Funds are due in November to improve the competitiveness of the city’s retail fund market. They include a Value-at-Risk approach to managing derivative exposure, enabling broader investment strategies and product offerings. The SFC will also streamline requi

A planned stock market overhaul in Vietnam will transfer all stocks listed on the Hanoi Stock Exchange to the Hochiminh Stock Exchange by the end of 2026, the State Securities Commission (SSC) said. SSC vice chairman Hoang Van Thu said technical testing between the exchanges and the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation was progressing as planned. The transfer date will depend on impact assessments and test results. The regulator is also studying a classifica

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates and chairman of the Dalio Family Office, highlighted the importance of family office AI adoption, urging investors and advisers to embrace artificial intelligence to remain competitive as it reshapes investment decision-making. Speaking at the WMI Global-Asia Family Office Summit, Dalio said AI could support research, the definition of decision criteria, back-testing, portfolio construction and execution. Investors should challenge

Family offices in Malaysia are emerging as a potential growth area as wealthy individuals and business owners seek more sophisticated structures to manage and deploy capital, contributing to Southeast Asia’s expanding private markets, according to industry executives. These offices are increasingly looking beyond traditional assets towards private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and direct investments, mirroring developments in Singapore and Hong Kong. Supportive gove

New MAS AI risk guidelines set supervisory expectations for Singapore’s financial institutions, with implementation beginning in October 2027. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said the guidelines cover all financial institutions and AI technologies through a principles-based, risk-proportionate approach. They address four areas: board and senior management oversight, management of AI risks throughout the technology life cycle, risks associated with third-party AI ser

South Korean retail investors have lost an estimated KRW2.3tr (USD1.7bn) through leveraged ETFs and other single-stock exchange-traded products linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Financial Supervisory Service data showed. The cumulative losses were recorded across 10 major brokerages, including Mirae Asset Securities, Kiwoom Securities, Samsung Securities and NH Investment & Securities, between 27 May and 14 August, according to data released by opposition lawmaker C

Singapore family office tax exemptions could be expanded to include digital payment tokens and insurance policies as authorities consider giving single family offices greater flexibility in managing investment portfolios. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the Monetary Authority of Singapore will update the designated investment list covered by the family-office tax exemption framework, although no implementation timetable or detailed changes have yet been announced. Spe

Asia-Pacific family office returns are outperforming global peers, with more than a quarter reporting portfolio gains above 15% through mid-2026, according to Citi Wealth’s annual survey. The research covered 351 family offices across 41 countries and found around 22% of Asia-Pacific respondents targeted annual returns above 15%, nearly twice the global proportion. Direct investing is particularly prominent in the region, with 79% of respondents participating in direct invest

The Chubb Wealth investment outlook is encouraging investors to reduce reliance on cash and diversify towards bonds, artificial intelligence-related assets and alternatives as uneven global economic conditions create differing opportunities across markets. In its fourth-quarter 2026 outlook, the Hong Kong-based wealth manager said elevated starting yields make fixed income attractive for income generation. It favours high-yield debt, Asian bonds and US dollar-denominated emer

South Korea bank data breaches have prompted President Lee Jae Myung to order a comprehensive investigation following hacking attacks that exposed customer information at major financial institutions. Shinhan Bank said personal information belonging to around 25,000 customers was leaked, including names, telephone numbers and annual income. Hana Bank reported a separate breach affecting 89 customers, while Woori Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank experienced hacking attempts but preve

Asian family office succession planning is failing to keep pace with anticipated intergenerational wealth transfers, according to research from the Wealth Management Institute. Its study of 146 family offices found that 71% plan to transfer wealth to future generations, but only 49% believe their successors are prepared to engage effectively with the family office. Cross-generational involvement appears to make a substantial difference. Family offices where different generati

A proposed Hong Kong corporate tax incentive would give qualifying companies preferential rates of 5% or 8.25% for up to five years as the government seeks to attract high-value businesses. Financial Secretary Christopher Hui said the regime would target advanced manufacturing, innovation and technology, headquarters operations, logistics and supply-chain management, and finance. The preferential rates would represent a substantial reduction from Hong Kong’s standard 16.5% co

Singapore investment banking fees increased 9% to USD693.8m during the first nine months of 2026, reaching their highest level for the period since 2021 as stronger mergers and acquisitions activity boosted advisory revenues. Singapore generated 69.3% of Southeast Asia’s investment banking fee pool, according to LSEG Deals Intelligence. M&A advisory fees increased 23.7% to USD256m, while equity capital markets underwriting revenue rose 11.5% to USD159.8m. Syndicated lending f

Singapore next-generation wealth hub credentials have been strengthened after the city-state ranked first in Asia-Pacific and sixth globally in Savills’ Next Generation Wealth Hubs Index. The index assesses more than 100 wealth centres across business, governance and connectivity, wealth management and taxation, wealth clusters and lifestyle. Singapore led six Asia-Pacific cities that placed among the global top 30. Savills said investment patterns among wealthy people under

Hong Kong fundraising reached a record USD47.5bn during the third quarter as the artificial intelligence boom encouraged Chinese companies to raise larger amounts and return more frequently to equity markets, Bloomberg data showed. Share sales pushed Hong Kong’s 2026 total above USD92bn, bringing the market within reach of the USD112.5bn annual record established in 2021. Alibaba’s USD10.2bn follow-on offering was the quarter’s largest transaction, while optical-networking eq