Singapore private debt market growth is drawing another global asset manager, as Australian pension-fund-owned IFM Investors prepares to open an office in the city-state in March, sources said. The move underscores Singapore’s push to build scale in the USD1.7tr private credit market and follows IFM’s partnership with the Australian government to pursue Southeast Asia investments. It comes as Singapore sees an influx of private credit managers, with Sixth Street Partners open

Singapore safe-harbour rules are being proposed to make it easier for listed companies to publish earnings guidance, as regulators seek feedback on amendments to the Securities and Futures Act and draft rules for a new Global Listing Board to facilitate dual listings. The proposal would introduce US-style protections for forward-looking statements. Market observers said more projections could improve transparency and narrow information gaps, but warned investors must test ass

Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone plans were reaffirmed by Malaysia and Singapore as a central pillar of bilateral economic ties, with both sides saying the initiative is shifting from planning to implementation to attract high-value investments and create jobs. The recommitment followed talks in Kuala Lumpur between Malaysia’s Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir and Singapore’s National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat. Malaysia is finalising an investment blue

Family offices AI investment is now centred on artificial intelligence, but exposure remains concentrated in big-cap listed stocks rather than infrastructure, a survey by JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s private bank found. Of 333 single family offices across 30 countries, 65% cited AI as their top theme, ahead of healthcare innovation, infrastructure and cybersecurity. Yet average allocations to venture capital and growth equity were just 3.3%, and more than half reported none. The po

Hong Kong GDP growth forecast has been raised by Citi to 3.2% for 2026, the bank’s second upgrade in about two weeks and a cumulative increase of 0.7 percentage points. Citi said the economy kept recovering in the fourth quarter, with strong investment growth and steadily improving consumption pushing domestic demand beyond expectations. It added the rebound is broad-based across finance, property and retail. Citi expects residential home prices to rise 8% this year and sees

Hong Kong Switzerland financial dialogue talks were held in Bern as the two sides convened their eighth Financial Dialogue to deepen cooperation in financial services and discuss policy challenges, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said. Co-organised by the HKMA and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for International Finance, the meeting was chaired by HKMA deputy chief executive Darryl Chan and SIF deputy state secretary Christoph König, with officials from the Swiss National B

Japanese investment in Thailand is set to continue as companies plan to keep investing despite labour shortages and high costs, according to a survey cited by Thailand’s Board of Investment. Of 520 firms surveyed, 23% said they aim to expand operations as they expect the economy to improve in the first half of 2026, while 35% expect exports to rise and 26% plan to establish regional offices. BoI secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi said Thailand remains Japan’s key long-t

Hong Kong OTC clearing periods could be permanently standardised from 2027 under a joint proposal by the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The regulators launched a consultation to fix the annual calculation periods used under the city’s OTC derivatives clearing regime, aiming to reduce frequent rule changes. If adopted, the rules would designate two fixed windows each year—March 1 to May 31 and September 1 to November 30—giving market pa

Hong Kong stablecoin licences are set to debut as early as March, with only a small number of applicants expected to be approved initially, Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue told lawmakers. Yue said vetting of licence applications is nearing completion, with the HKMA assessing proposed use cases, governance and risk controls, anti-money laundering arrangements, and the reserve assets backing each stablecoin. He added that licensed issuers must comply with

Jeonbuk financial hub ambitions are gaining momentum as major Korean lenders move to build asset management and capital markets operations in the province. KB Financial Group said it will develop a KB Finance Town in Jeonbuk Innovation City, bringing together banking, securities, insurance and asset management with about 250 staff. Shinhan Financial Group followed by naming Jeonbuk as its base for asset management and capital markets, targeting 300 professionals. The province

Da Nang IFC plans are emerging as a catalyst for the city’s property and investment recovery, alongside major port and infrastructure projects, market watchers said. The proposed International Financial Centre aims to attract financial institutions and pilot digital asset models, with a first-phase 27,000-sq-m office tower planned. In parallel, Da Nang is advancing a 1,881-hectare free trade zone linked to Lien Chieu Port and the Hi-Tech Park, which analysts say could boost d

Crypto money laundering surged in 2025, with criminals receiving at least USD82bn in illicit cryptocurrency flows, according to a report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Crypto money laundering volumes rose sharply from about USD10bn in 2020, driven in part by rapid growth among Chinese-speaking networks. Chainalysis said the fastest-growing segment, Chinese-language money-laundering networks that emerged during the pandemic, processed nearly USD40m a day last year.

Hong Kong private equity hub prospects remain strong as the city positions itself to lead Asia’s private markets, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said. Chan said Hong Kong hosts more than 650 private equity firms with assets under management of about USD230bn, supported by deep liquidity in asset and wealth management, a rapidly expanding family office ecosystem and strong capital inflows. He highlighted opportunities in hard technology including artificial intelligence,

Hong Kong Asia-Africa investment corridor ambitions are gaining momentum, with the city well placed to link Asian capital with African infrastructure projects, according to a report by the Financial Services Development Council. The FSDC said Hong Kong can serve as a premier gateway connecting long-term capital from institutional investors and family offices with projects across Belt and Road Initiative economies in Africa. It highlighted opportunities for Hong Kong to export

Asia-Pacific private markets allocations are set to rise as regional investors show the strongest conviction globally, Aviva Investors said. In Asia-Pacific, only 9% of institutional investors plan to cut private market exposure, while 49% expect to increase allocations, broadly in line with a global trend where 88% plan to add. Aviva said Asia-Pacific investors are also most enthusiastic about the illiquidity premium, cited by 58%, as improved data helps calibrate allocation

Hong Kong family office sector growth is expected to remain robust at 10% to 15% a year, reflecting a deepening wealth-management ecosystem, executives said at a recent industry summit. Speaking at the Insight Experts 2026 Investment Summit in Hong Kong, Yuan Miaoling, director of personal and business banking at China CITIC Bank International, said rising wealth in Asia and globally is underpinning demand, with family offices increasingly used to separate family assets from

Founder-led family offices AI adoption is accelerating as smaller teams seek to automate operations without expanding headcount, Amin Naj, founder of Circle Family Office, said. Founder-led family offices AI adoption is accelerating as smaller teams seek to automate operations without expanding headcount, Amin Naj, founder of Circle Family Office, said. Naj said his team reviewed major AI models over six months to assess how founder-led family offices can reduce administrativ

Hong Kong Asian Financial Forum concluded after drawing more than 4,000 global leaders from over 60 countries and regions, reinforcing the city’s role as an international financial hub. The two-day Asian Financial Forum, co-hosted by the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, featured more than 150 speakers and launched an inaugural Global Business Summit. Former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso warned of instability from technological

AI-for-finance hubs are increasingly defined by production-grade deployment rather than experimentation, according to Deep Knowledge Group’s Global AI Competitiveness Index. The report ranked the United States first among countries, followed by China, Britain, Switzerland and Singapore for AI-for-finance capability and maturity. In the city-hub ranking, New York placed first, London second and Hong Kong third, citing connectivity, institutional concentration and regulated-mar

The Asian Financial Forum opened in Hong Kong as global policymakers and finance executives gathered to discuss the global outlook and reinforce the city’s position as an international financial centre and a bridge between mainland China and global markets. The 19th Asian Financial Forum, co-organised by the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, is being held under the theme “Co-creating New Horizons amid an Evolving Landscape” with the tagline “Fi