Family offices, institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals are the focus of a new platform launched in Hong Kong to strengthen the city’s role as an international investment gateway. The Hong Kong investor hub initiative, known as the Global Investor Institute, was founded by William Kwok and aims to connect capital with emerging technology opportunities across Asia and beyond. The Hong Kong investor hub will provide a continuous platform for dialogue among instit

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned that the world economy faces a growing global recession risk if conflict in the Middle East continues into next year and disrupts energy supplies. The OECD said prolonged instability could weaken growth, increase inflation and force central banks to maintain tighter monetary policies. Under its baseline scenario, global growth is expected to slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 2.8% in 2026 before recovering to 3.1% i

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has urged licensed financial institutions to strengthen defences against AI-enabled cyber threats, warning that brokers and virtual asset trading platforms face growing risks from phishing, social engineering and deepfake attacks. The regulator said rapidly advancing artificial intelligence tools are making it easier for cybercriminals to launch large-scale attacks and misappropriate client assets. The warning comes after reported

Vietnam’s securities regulator is preparing a new round of Vietnam securities reforms designed to improve market accessibility and attract additional foreign investment as the country pursues a long-term effort to upgrade its stock market status. State Securities Commission Chairwoman Vu Thi Chan Phuong said Vietnam’s stock market capitalisation had reached approximately USD410bn by mid-May, while average daily trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange stood at around U

Family offices are increasingly turning to external specialists to strengthen cyber defences as digital threats become more sophisticated, according to new research from Ocorian. The family office cybersecurity outsourcing study surveyed 200 family office executives and family members overseeing a combined USD119.4bn in wealth and found that 43% had experienced a cyberattack during the past two years. Despite rising risks, significant gaps remain. Around 18% of respondents sa

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission will introduce tougher compliance requirements for brokers, asset managers and other capital market intermediaries as part of a broader effort to combat financial crime. The Thailand mule accounts crackdown will take effect on Aug. 16 and is designed to strengthen safeguards against money laundering, cyber-enabled fraud and the misuse of investment accounts. Under the new rules, firms will be required to enhance customer due dilig

Singapore must strengthen its position not only as a global financial centre but also as a trusted AI finance hub, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said at the launch of DBS Group Research’s report, The Trusted AI Financial Hub. He argued that future financial centres will increasingly be judged by their ability to deploy artificial intelligence responsibly while maintaining trust, security and strong governance. The report ranked Singapore among the world’s leading AI-read

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has upgraded its South Korea growth forecast for 2026 to 2.6% from 1.7%, citing robust semiconductor exports driven by the global artificial intelligence boom. The revised South Korea growth forecast reflects expectations that strong chip demand will continue supporting exports, investment and broader economic activity. The OECD noted that South Korea’s exports surged 53% year on year to a monthly record of USD87.8bn

Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 will return from Nov. 2 to 6 and is expected to attract more than 45,000 participants from over 120 economies, reinforcing the city’s position as a leading global financial technology centre. The Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 programme will feature its main conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Nov. 2 and 3. Organisers said the event will bring together more than 1,000 speakers, 800 sponsors, exhibitors and start-ups, as wel

Families across Asia are increasingly moving away from traditional property-based wealth transfers and introducing younger generations to investing through stocks, funds and insurance products. The Asian inheritance planning trend reflects changing attitudes towards wealth preservation and long-term financial growth. In South Korea, Choi Nam-joon gave his eight-year-old son three Samsung Electronics shares worth KRW500,000 (USD332) as a birthday gift, saying the investment wa

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission will undertake a comprehensive review of rules governing online investment commentators and content creators as digital platforms increasingly influence investment decisions. The Hong Kong financial influencers review was confirmed by Eric Yip Chee-hang, executive director of the SFC’s intermediaries division. Yip told lawmakers that the regulator began engaging with industry participants last year to assess whether changes to lic

Schroders Wealth Management has appointed Sharon Sim as Head of Business Development for Asia as the firm continues expanding its regional wealth-management platform. The Schroders Asia business development role will be based in Singapore and will focus on identifying growth opportunities, strengthening client relationships and building strategic partnerships across the region. The appointment follows the recent naming of Evonne Tan as chief executive for Asia and reinforces

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

Family-owned businesses frequently underperform for years after leadership changes, according to new McKinsey research covering more than 200 companies across 50 countries. The family business succession study found average shareholder returns fell by 5.7 percentage points during the five years following a CEO transition. McKinsey said the decline occurred regardless of whether the successor was a family member or an external executive, suggesting that family business success

Hong Kong’s role as an international financial and regional business hub will continue strengthening despite geopolitical tensions, according to Hong Kong Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma. The Hong Kong financial hub outlook remains supported by the city’s free flow of information and its mature banking, capital markets, accounting and legal ecosystem, Ma said during a public event. He added that foreign companies still largely prefer Hong Kong as a location fo

OCBC plans to increase its relationship managers in Hong Kong by more than 30% this year as Singapore’s second-largest bank accelerates expansion of its wealth management operations in the city. The OCBC Hong Kong wealth strategy will see the lender add between 30 and 50 relationship managers during 2026 alongside branch modernisation initiatives. The bank said Hong Kong remains a core growth market under its broader next-frontier strategy focused on wealth management and aff

China and the United States have agreed to establish trade and investment councils as both countries seek to stabilise economic ties following last year’s tariff war, according to China’s commerce ministry. The China US trade councils agreement will include discussions covering reciprocal tariff reductions on selected products and wider trade cooperation. Beijing said the two sides made progress on agricultural trade and aircraft purchases, including reductions in non-tariff

Malaysia’s Maybank Asset Management has launched a private credit feeder fund with LGT Capital Partners, giving sophisticated and high-net-worth investors in Malaysia access to a diversified global private credit strategy. The Malaysia private credit fund will invest into LGT Global Private Credit SA, SICAV-RAIF and be distributed through Maybank Private Banking and Maybank Wealth Management. Maybank Asset Management said it is the exclusive third-party entity offering the LG

Hong Kong’s economy remains resilient, supported by technology-related exports, improving private demand and stronger financial market activity, the International Monetary Fund said following its latest Article IV mission. The IMF Hong Kong assessment reaffirmed the city’s position as an international financial centre, a “super-connector”, a major fundraising hub and the world’s leading offshore renminbi centre. The IMF said financial sector risks remain manageable because of

Singapore is attracting more wealth from high-net-worth individuals and family offices as geopolitical tensions and Middle East instability increase demand for neutral financial hubs. The Singapore safe haven wealth trend has been reinforced by record total deposits of USD1.61tr in February, while assets under management rose 12% to SGD6.07tr (USD4.48tr) in 2024 and single-family offices exceeded 2,000 by year-end. Advisers said Singapore’s regulatory framework, currency stab