The OCBC Lee family fortune has risen to USD13.8bn as shares in the Singapore bank nearly doubled over the past year, supported partly by expansion of its wealth-management business. The family, whose largest asset is its OCBC holding, ranked fourth among Singapore’s wealthiest and recorded the largest increase in both absolute and percentage terms. OCBC’s wealth-management business grew 11% in the first quarter and accounted for 39% of total revenue. The bank has been expand

Barclays Singapore private bank capabilities are expanding with the launch of a new booking centre aimed at family offices and ultra-high-net-worth clients across Asia. The move marks Barclays’ return to an onshore private banking booking model in Singapore, around a decade after the British lender sold its regional private banking business to OCBC. The centre combines local booking capabilities with Barclays’ international network, giving clients access to banking, lending,

The Taiwan growth forecast 2026 has been raised by Standard Chartered to 11.5% from 9.5% after stronger-than-expected second-quarter expansion, robust AI-related exports and improving domestic demand. The bank also lifted its 2027 growth estimate to 6.5% from 5%, above government forecasts of 11.05% and 6.04%, respectively. Senior economist Tommy Wu said growth was likely to slow sharply from the fourth quarter as high base effects weighed on export comparisons. However, a su

Hong Kong living investment ranked fifth among Asia-Pacific markets after attracting 24 student-housing conversion deals worth USD1.63bn since 2021, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Ten transactions valued at USD739.9m were completed during the first seven months of 2026, supported by accommodation shortages and continued growth in the student population. The APAC Living Investor Survey 2026 found that 90% of respondents were considering repositioning or change-of-use invest

Japan pension funds domestic bonds allocations are drawing renewed interest as defined-benefit schemes prepare for faster interest-rate increases by the Bank of Japan. A J.P. Morgan Asset Management survey of 82 funds conducted between April and June found that 10% planned to increase domestic bond holdings, representing the strongest appetite for the asset class since 2008. Overall domestic bond allocations remained broadly stable at 14.3%, although 62% of respondents were r

South Korea capital market reform will be a priority for finance minister nominee Lee Hyung-il as he seeks to address the “Korea discount” and strengthen corporate governance. Lee, currently first vice finance minister, outlined plans to revive potential growth, reduce economic inequality and advance market reforms ahead of his parliamentary confirmation hearing. He said the government would accelerate three national projects, promote regional growth hubs and increase investm

Singapore climate financial risks must be reflected in company accounts where they are material, despite extended timelines for some sustainability disclosures, according to guidance from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Directors remain responsible under the Companies Act for ensuring financial statements provide a true and fair view of a company’s financial position and performance. Climate-related factors could affect asset valuations, useful lives, depre

Asia-Pacific family office sustainable investment exposure is increasing as more wealthy families and asset owners allocate substantial portions of portfolios to impact and environmental, social and governance strategies. A Sustainable Finance Initiative survey found that 27% of respondents allocated more than half of their assets to impact and ESG investments in 2026, up from 17% in 2025. The Hong Kong-based organisation surveyed 121 family office representatives and princip

Hong Kong billionaire hub status remains firmly established after the city retained its position as the world’s second-largest billionaire centre in 2025, according to Altrata’s Billionaire Census 2026. Hong Kong had 106 billionaires, two fewer than a year earlier, but their combined wealth continued rising to USD319bn. Property-sector weakness and relatively limited exposure to artificial intelligence-related gains weighed on the city’s billionaire population. New York remai

The Forest City fintech tax incentive will give eligible financial technology companies and related service providers access to a 5% corporate tax rate in Malaysia’s Forest City Special Financial Zone. The incentive is available for 10 years and may be extended for a further decade, subject to approval and continued compliance. Eligible businesses include fintech companies, financial global business services providers and foreign payment system operators. Qualifying activitie

Chinese state-owned banks profits recovered simultaneously in the first half for the first time since 2022 as revenue increased and net interest margins showed early signs of stabilisation. ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Postal Savings Bank of China generated more than RMB2tr (USD297bn) in combined revenue and around RMB712.6bn in attributable profit. Revenue increased by between 4% and 11%, while profit ro

Hong Kong family office succession services are attracting Asian business-owning families seeking a base for governance, investment management and generational wealth transfer. Advisers say founder-led businesses increasingly want to separate operating capital from family wealth, while internationally dispersed families are looking for an Asian hub capable of supporting assets and heirs across multiple jurisdictions. Hong Kong had 3,380 single-family offices at the end of 202

Taiwan's financial sector is set for further consolidation after the Financial Supervisory Commission approved two significant transactions involving banking and insurance groups. The approvals cover the merger of Bank SinoPac and King's Town Bank, together with E.Sun Financial Holding's acquisition of Mercuries Life Insurance. Bank SinoPac will become the surviving entity when the merger takes effect on 1 January next year, creating a lender with 189 branches, the second-lar

South Korea and ASEAN will begin formal negotiations this week to modernise their trade agreement and deepen cooperation in emerging sectors. The South Korea ASEAN FTA upgrade discussions will cover areas including the digital economy, critical minerals, supply-chain resilience and future trade facilitation. The first round of negotiations will be led by Park Geun-oh of South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and Alpana Roy, ASEAN’s director general for intern

Hong Kong is proposing stricter compliance requirements for family offices even as it broadens tax incentives to cover a wider range of alternative assets, including digital assets, precious metals and selected commodities. The Hong Kong family office rules are designed to ensure that firms benefiting from tax concessions maintain genuine economic substance in the city. Under the proposed framework, family offices seeking preferential tax treatment will need to satisfy “real

Investors in mainland China and Hong Kong have reportedly been barred from participating in SpaceX’s planned public offering, according to Bloomberg News. The SpaceX IPO restrictions were communicated by lead underwriters, which instructed syndicate members not to accept orders from customers in China and Hong Kong, including private banking clients. The reported decision reflects regulatory and compliance concerns surrounding cross-border participation in the offering. Forei

China has announced tougher supervision of its RMB23tr (USD3.4tr) private investment sector as regulators seek to reduce financial risks and channel more capital towards technology innovation and strategic industries. The China private fund industry reforms were unveiled by the China Securities Regulatory Commission as part of a broader clean-up campaign. The CSRC said it would strengthen registration requirements, crack down on illegal fund activities and encourage more long

Singapore businesses lose an estimated USD7bn annually because of inefficiencies in traditional international payment systems, according to research by Airwallex and the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The Singapore cross-border payments study found that payment failures, foreign-exchange spreads, correspondent banking fees and settlement delays continue to impose significant costs on companies. The report described these inefficiencies as a “Global Growth Tariff”

The Missing Layer in Family Office Investing (Article 2 of 4) CSRD, AI disclosure norms, and the expanding governance perimeter — why private wealth can no longer sit outside the regulatory frame. There is a widely held assumption in private wealth management that AI and ESG governance regulations are designed for large public companies. Publicly listed, heavily scrutinised, institutionally owned. Not for the family office managing a mid-market portfolio across three jurisdic

Companies across Southeast Asia plan to allocate 81% of capital expenditure within Asia over the next three years, led primarily by ASEAN markets, according to The Business Times Insights: ASEAN Intelligence 2026 survey. The ASEAN intra-Asia investment findings were based on responses from more than 500 business leaders across the ASEAN-6 economies. All respondents said they planned additional capital deployment within Asia, with 90% focused on ASEAN markets, 77% targeting do