South Korea’s mergers and acquisitions market has entered one of its busiest periods on record, supported by strong risk appetite and a more than 70% year-to-date surge in the KOSPI, with Citi advising on a series of high-profile transactions. Recent deals include EQT’s roughly USD930m acquisition of a controlling stake in cloud software provider Douzone Bizon, described as Asia’s largest B2B software transaction outside Japan, and the IMM Investment–KB Balhae consortium’s 49

Southeast Asia has emerged as a beneficiary of the US–China trade rift, with exports to the United States growing faster than China’s, according to analysis by the Lowy Institute. Shipments from the 11-member ASEAN bloc to the US rose 23% in September from a year earlier, led by Thailand and Vietnam, while China’s share of the American market declined. The divergence reflects steep US tariffs on Chinese goods, averaging 31%, compared with roughly 11% for many Southeast Asian

The Asian Development Bank has lowered its growth outlook for the Philippines but still expects the country to be Southeast Asia’s second-fastest major economy. The ADB now projects GDP growth of 5% this year and 5.3% in 2026, both below government targets, after a weaker-than-expected 4% expansion in the third quarter and a 10.7% drop in January–September public works spending. The bank cited weak and corruption-hit infrastructure outlays and natural hazards as key drags. Ho

Hong Kong’s ageing population is straining public healthcare while opening new business opportunities for insurers and banks, officials and executives said at the Asian Insurance Forum on Monday. Insurance Authority chairman Stephen Yiu said the Hong Kong ageing population is driving demand for health insurance, annuities and retirement solutions as demographic pressures intensify. The government projects about 2.4m elderly residents by mid-2036, representing roughly one-thir

Japan’s economy shrank faster than first reported in the July–September quarter, revised Cabinet Office data showed, highlighting the impact of weaker business spending despite a modest rise in consumption. Under the Japan Q3 GDP revision, real gross domestic product fell at an annualised 2.3%, compared with an initial estimate of 1.8% and a median forecast of 2.0%, marking the largest contraction since the third quarter of 2023. GDP declined 0.6% quarter on quarter, versus 0

South Korea’s finance ministry is stepping up oversight as Korea won weakness persists near levels last seen during the 2009 financial crisis, setting up a task force with exporters, securities firms and regulators, officials said. Operating under the international finance bureau, the group will monitor exporters’ currency-conversion behaviour and consider incentives for companies that convert foreign-currency earnings back into won. The won has remained below 1,450 per dolla

Nomura Asset Management is expanding its international trainee program as it plans to relocate dozens of staff from its Tokyo headquarters to overseas hubs, including London and New York, to strengthen investment and sales capabilities and deepen its pool of globally trained professionals. The initiative comes as Japan’s regulator has flagged competitiveness gaps among domestic asset managers, even as reforms to tax-free NISA accounts draw more households into investing. Nomu

China’s securities regulator has urged the country’s roughly 160 mutual fund houses to introduce performance-based pay structures under tightening China mutual fund pay rules, increasing oversight of an industry shaken by recent scandals and Beijing’s “common prosperity” drive to rein in excessive earnings. Draft guidelines issued by the China Securities Regulatory Commission would allow fund performance to account for as much as 80% of managers’ annual pay, the official Secu

Private credit and core-plus infrastructure are expected to offer attractive risk-reward profiles for investors seeking diversification away from equities in 2026, Temasek chief executive Dilhan Pillay said at Abu Dhabi Finance Week. He said private credit provides senior-position exposure within the capital structure, while core-plus infrastructure can deliver stable, long-term cash yields from assets such as data centres and energy-transition projects. The comments build on

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission is accelerating capital market reforms to ease long-standing liquidity constraints and close gaps with ASEAN peers in market depth and product diversity, SEC chairman Francisco Ed. Lim said at a business forum. The regulator has tightened service standards, shortened decision timelines and introduced a deemed-approved mechanism for filings that go unanswered beyond prescribed periods, alongside a standard 45-day review window

Indonesia’s tycoons strengthened their dominance of the Southeast Asia rich list in October, led by energy and petrochemicals magnate Prajogo Pangestu with an estimated net worth of USD41.5bn, according to Forbes-based rankings. Coal producer Bayan Resources founder Low Tuck Kwong followed with USD25.2bn, while banking and tobacco heirs Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Hartono ranked next at about USD19.4bn and USD18.6bn respectively. Outside Indonesia, Vietnam’s Vingroup foun

Asia remains under-invested despite strong fundamentals and attractive valuations, according to DBS’ chief investment office. Senior strategist Daryl Ho said lingering caution after years of weak performance has kept investors on the sidelines even as opportunities strengthen across dividend and growth assets. Dividend yields in Singapore and China hover around 5%–6%, while technology earnings in Asia excluding Japan are forecast to grow in the mid-20% range in FY2026. Ho not

Foreign investors remain confident about expanding in Thailand despite political uncertainty surrounding Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government and the possibility of an early-2026 parliamentary dissolution ahead of elections, the Board of Investment said. The BoI said Thailand’s legal framework and investment-promotion policies would remain in place, with investment demand focused on electric vehicles, advanced electronics, data centres, printed circuit boards and a

Taiwan central bank governor Yang Chin-long said stablecoins may have payment potential but pose stablecoin oversight risks and fall short of Bank for International Settlements standards needed to anchor a monetary system. Speaking in Taipei at a Financial Information Service Co conference, Yang said stablecoins lack unity, elasticity and integrity, and tokens can trade at premiums or discounts depending on reserve quality and issuer risk. He said many stablecoin issuers are

Asia family office hubs are accelerating their professionalisation as newly wealthy entrepreneurs establish dedicated organisations and compete for experienced talent, according to a compensation benchmark report by KPMG Private Enterprise and recruiter Agreus. The study was based on an online survey of 585 family-office professionals ranging from personal assistants to principals, alongside 20 in-depth interviews with senior leaders worldwide. Singapore and Hong Kong continu

Nearly 80% of Chinese mainland companies are using Hong Kong as a base for overseas expansion, Deloitte China said, highlighting the city’s role as a gateway for outbound growth. The findings were released alongside a new “going global” handbook and the launch of a dedicated task force in Hong Kong to support mainland firms expanding overseas. Deloitte noted that mainland firms use Hong Kong not only for financing needs but also for international management, governance and pa

Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) has appointed 10 asset managers to oversee the 2025 capital batch of its New CIES investment portfolio under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, with the pool expected to reach at least HKD3bn(USD390m), HKIC said. The appointed firms cover venture capital, private equity, private credit and hedge fund strategies and include Abax Global Capital, Beyond Ventures, CMC Capital, FirstLight Capital, Hidden Hill Capital, M Capital, Polymer

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has proposed a new risk mitigation accounting model that could give investors greater transparency into how banks manage portfolio-level risks such as interest-rate movements. The IASB has opened a public consultation on the proposal, which could result in amendments to IFRS 9 Financial Instruments and related IFRS 7 disclosure requirements. IASB chair Andreas Barckow said the aim of risk mitigation accounting is to better a

Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) has launched its first Singapore VCC fund for family offices, using the city’s Variable Capital Company structure, an umbrella regime that allows multiple ring-fenced sub-funds with distinct strategies. The fund will be run by UBP’s Singapore discretionary portfolio management team and can invest across public markets and alternatives, including hedge funds and private markets, while also allocating to third-party managers. UBP said it is targeting

Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group will make a minority investment of about JPY5bn(USD32m) in Ambit Wealth, strengthening the Daiwa Ambit Wealth investment partnership in India’s fast-expanding wealth sector, the Nikkei reported. Ambit Wealth, which serves ultra-high-net-worth clients and family offices, had assets under management and advice nearing USD10bn as of 31 March 2025, according to Daiwa. Daiwa said it aims to share its portfolio-strategy and marketing expertise with Am