Singapore family offices could benefit from revised investment incentives as the Monetary Authority of Singapore reviews tax concessions while Hong Kong expands measures to attract global wealth managers. According to the Financial Times, the MAS is considering changes to its 10% fund manager tax concession and additional measures to reduce operating costs for investment funds. The review comes as Hong Kong proposes broader preferential tax treatment covering funds, family-ow

Hong Kong GDP is forecast to expand by 4.3% in 2026 as artificial intelligence investment, recovering capital markets and stronger domestic demand support the city's economic outlook, according to Standard Chartered. Senior economist Tommy Wu said Hong Kong is well positioned to benefit from Asia's AI-driven investment cycle through its logistics and trading sectors, noting that more than 70% of electronic products imported into mainland China pass through Hong Kong. Recoveri

UOB Private Bank Hong Kong has appointed Judy Chan as managing director for Hong Kong as the Singapore-based lender continues expanding its wealth management capabilities across Asia. Effective from July 2026, Chan will oversee client coverage, team leadership and the delivery of wealth solutions for high-net-worth individuals while strengthening client engagement and the bank's presence in Hong Kong. She will report to Chew Mun Yew, head of Group Private Bank. Chan brings ne

The South Korea economy is expected to lose momentum during the second quarter of 2026 as weaker domestic demand offsets exceptional export growth driven by artificial intelligence-related semiconductor investment. A Reuters survey forecast quarterly gross domestic product growth of 0.4%, slowing sharply from the revised 1.8% expansion recorded during the first quarter. Annual growth is expected to ease to 3.5% from 3.8%. Exports increased by approximately 71% in June, suppor

Hong Kong family offices are attracting increasing interest from wealthy European families seeking a strategic base for investing across Asia, according to BNP Paribas, as two-way capital flows between Europe and mainland China continue to strengthen. Lemuel Lee, the bank's head of wealth management in Hong Kong, said affluent European clients are increasingly viewing the city as an ideal location for conducting due diligence, sourcing investment opportunities and negotiating

A review of HKEX trading hours could significantly extend access to Hong Kong's equity market as the exchange explores earlier openings, continuous daytime trading and a new evening session to improve international competitiveness. According to Bloomberg, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing is considering beginning cash equity trading at 9 a.m., eliminating the existing one-hour lunch break and introducing an after-hours trading session between 8 p.m. and midnight. The tradition

New South Korea leveraged ETFs are facing tighter regulatory controls after the Financial Supervisory Service ordered asset managers to halt advertising for domestically listed single-stock leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds with immediate effect. The directive follows broader investor protection measures requiring buyers to deposit at least KRW30m (USD20,291), purchase a minimum of 20 shares and complete three hours of mandatory education before trading the products

Vietnam financial planning remains underdeveloped despite investors gradually diversifying their portfolios, according to a nationwide survey by Thien Viet Securities. The study of 1,000 investors holding at least VND500m (USD19,047) in assets found that bank deposits, property and gold still accounted for 87% of total household investments. While 55% of respondents used between two and three investment channels and 39% invested across four or five asset classes, equities, bo

The KWAP eFishery investment has prompted Malaysia's Retirement Fund Inc to pursue legal action and seek recovery of invested capital after the Finance Ministry described the Indonesian aquaculture company's collapse as the result of a "well-planned fraud". In a parliamentary reply, the ministry said KWAP and other investors had begun legal proceedings while reviewing governance, monitoring and investment oversight procedures. Officials stressed that the pension fund had foll

The Southeast Asia IPO market delivered stronger fundraising during the first half of 2026 despite a decline in new listings, as larger transactions in Malaysia and Singapore offset subdued activity elsewhere, according to EY. The region completed 35 initial public offerings that raised USD2.5bn, representing an 85% increase in proceeds despite deal volume falling 30% compared with a year earlier. Malaysia dominated activity with 28 IPOs raising USD1.4bn, while Singapore gene

FinEx Club AI governance was a central theme at the organisation's Strategic Advisory Board reception in Hong Kong, where members reviewed a year of initiatives spanning financial markets, tokenisation, artificial intelligence and executive development. The event brought together founder and chairman Morris Hui, senior adviser Jonathan Watkin, chief executive of Asia First Financial Insights, and other advisory board members. Lawrence Au introduced the FinEx Club Research Cen

Thailand business closures increased sharply during the first half of 2026 as rising operating costs, subdued consumer demand and intensifying competition forced more companies to cease operations, according to the Department of Business Development. A total of 7,024 businesses closed during the six-month period, an increase of 12.5% from a year earlier. Registered capital associated with those closures surged to THB98.9bn (USD3.02bn), up 224%, indicating that larger business

The global faith-based investing market has grown to approximately USD169bn across 853 investment strategies, but these funds continue to trail conventional products in diversification, costs and long-term performance, according to Morningstar. As of 30 April 2026, Morningstar found that faith-based passive funds charged roughly twice the average asset-weighted fees of comparable conventional products, largely because of limited competition and fewer passive investment option

Growing Asian wealth diversification is prompting wealthy families, founders and private investors to rebalance portfolios across multiple financial centres as geopolitical tensions in the Gulf encourage broader geographic risk management. Bankers and advisers said some high-net-worth families are reviewing Middle East exposure following renewed regional instability, travel disruptions and security concerns. However, industry executives stressed that the trend reflects pruden

Japan cryptocurrency regulation is entering a new phase after parliament approved legislation recognising cryptocurrencies as financial assets and bringing them under a stricter regulatory framework. Previously governed primarily under the Payment Services Act, crypto assets will now become subject to broader financial market rules, including restrictions on insider trading and significantly stronger penalties for unregistered operators. Public broadcaster NHK reported that t

China global reputation has improved significantly, with the country now viewed more favourably than the United States across most surveyed markets, according to a new Pew Research Center study. Among 20 countries with comparable historical data, a median 48% of respondents expressed favourable views of China in 2026, compared with 36% for the United States. This represents a sharp reversal from 2023, when the corresponding figures were 32% and 58%, respectively. China achiev

A successful Malaysia family office hub will depend on far more than generous tax incentives, with economists arguing that regulatory quality, infrastructure and investor confidence will ultimately determine whether Forest City can emerge as a regional wealth management centre. The initiative offers qualifying single family offices tax concessions for up to 20 years and positions Forest City, within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, as a lower-cost alternative to Sin

The outlook for Hong Kong wealth management remains positive as the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) expects compliant mainland Chinese capital inflows and increasing listing activity from emerging markets to reinforce the city's position as a leading international financial centre. Board member Amy Lo said tighter controls on illicit capital outflows from mainland China could encourage more investment to flow through legitimate Hong Kong channels. The FSDC is al

Deutsche Bank Southeast Asia has strengthened its private banking leadership by appointing veteran wealth manager Jennifer Tay as vice chairman for Southeast Asia, reinforcing the bank's regional expansion strategy amid rising demand for wealth management services. Tay will join on 3 August and report to Johanes Oeni, head of Southeast Asia for Deutsche Bank's Private Bank. She arrives from Citibank, where she spent more than 20 years, most recently serving as market executiv

The Hong Kong Investment Corporation generated a strong 14% net internal rate of return in 2025 as the government-owned investment fund expanded its portfolio across strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech and green energy. Investment income rose 175% to HKD6.46bn (USD824m), while operating profit increased 181% to HKD6.3bn. Total assets reached HKD69.7bn as the sovereign investment fund continued deploying capital to support Hong Kong's in