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

AI access restrictions are emerging inside global financial institutions as Goldman Sachs bars its Hong Kong bankers from using Anthropic’s Claude models, according to the Financial Times. The restriction prevents staff in the city from accessing Claude directly or through Goldman’s internal AI platforms, although it does not apply to other providers including OpenAI. The move followed a strict reading of the bank’s contractual arrangements with Anthropic, whose models are no

China financial regulator Li Yunze has been demoted over a suspected disciplinary violation, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter, in the latest sign of Beijing’s widening crackdown on the financial sector. Li, 55, headed the National Financial Regulatory Administration, which oversees banks, insurers and trust firms across China’s USD79tr financial industry. Reuters said his name and photo were removed from the regulator’s leadership page. Li was appointe

Southeast Asia private banking expansion is accelerating as Lombard Odier appoints Edwin Tan as market head for the region, effective July 13, 2026, as the Swiss private bank strengthens its regional leadership. Based in Singapore, Tan will report to Asia private clients head Omar Shokur and will be responsible for launching and leading a new Southeast Asia team, including hiring relationship managers and specialists to serve clients across key markets. Tan joins from DBS, wh

Family office advisory demand is rising as Bank of Singapore strengthens its leadership team to support ultra-high-net-worth clients facing increasingly complex wealth planning needs. The OCBC private banking arm said its family office advisory team recorded its highest number of global client engagements in 2025, with further growth expected. The bank appointed Elvin Ho as head of family office and structuring solutions, alongside new senior roles across Singapore, Hong Kong

Malaysia family office ambitions are gaining traction as authorities position Forest City Special Financial Zone as a lower-cost complement to Singapore. Launched in September 2024 within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, the initiative offers tax incentives including 0% on qualifying investment income for 10 years, extendable to 20 years. Malaysian authorities said six single-family offices managing RM400m (USD85m) had been approved by early 2026, with a target of R

Indonesia QRIS payment network has officially expanded to South Korea after Bank Indonesia and the Bank of Korea launched a cross-border QRIS payment link under a local currency settlement framework. The linkage allows users to make retail payments directly between the rupiah and South Korean won, reducing reliance on the US dollar. Bank Indonesia said inbound QRIS transactions had reached 5.9 million and outbound transactions 1.7 million as of early April. Officials said the

Taishin Securities merger Taiwan will create the island’s fourth-largest brokerage by market share after the company completes its merger with MasterLink Securities, according to Financial Supervisory Commission data. The combined brokerage’s market share is expected to rise to 5.13% from 2.19%, lifting Taishin’s ranking from 16th to fourth. Taishin Securities will remain the surviving entity and the MasterLink brand will be discontinued. Parent TS Financial Holding said the

Vietnam growth outlook remains the strongest in the ASEAN+3 region, with the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office forecasting GDP growth of 7.4% in 2026 and 7.1% in 2027, after an estimated 8% in 2025. Inflation is projected at 3.8% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027. AMRO said the Vietnam growth outlook is underpinned by strong domestic demand, stable inflation, robust exports, solid foreign investment inflows and strength in high-tech manufacturing and electronics. Across ASEAN+3, g

Blue Pool Capital private equity fund activity has entered a new phase as the Hong Kong-based multi-family office and investment firm co-founded by Alibaba billionaire Joe Tsai raised USD1bn for its first private equity fund, Riverside Fund, marking an expansion beyond multi-strategy investing. The firm was founded by Tsai and former Alibaba executives and is led by CEO Oliver Weisberg, a former Goldman Sachs banker and former Citadel partner in Hong Kong. Weisberg previously

Vietnam digital asset tax rules now impose a 0.1% personal income tax on every digital asset transaction under the Finance Ministry’s Circular 32/2026, while exempting such transactions from value-added tax. The circular, effective from March 27, also sets a 20% corporate income tax for businesses providing digital asset services in Vietnam, while foreign institutional investors trading through those firms will pay the same 0.1% per transaction. The move comes as Vietnam rema

Asia legacy planning remains weak, with nearly six in 10 high-net-worth individuals in the region lacking a formal plan, according to an HSBC Life report that highlighted risks to intergenerational wealth transfer. Only 24% of respondents in Taiwan had a legacy plan, followed by 26% in Hong Kong and 36% in mainland China, while Thailand led the surveyed markets at 57%. The report said economic and financial market volatility, cited by 45% of respondents, was a stronger trigge

Hong Kong financial centre ranking held steady at third globally and first in Asia-Pacific in the 39th Global Financial Centres Index, the Financial Services Development Council said, citing Z/Yen Group and the China Development Institute. Hong Kong’s overall score rose to 765, leaving it one point behind London and two points behind New York. The city also retained first place in the fintech index and ranked top globally in banking, insurance and finance. FSDC chairman Benja

China fund manager merger activity is set to deepen as Huaan Fund Management and smaller peer HFT Investment Management prepare to combine under rules that bar one company from controlling stakes in two mutual fund managers, according to a local media report. Both firms are controlled by Guotai Haitong Securities, and the final merger plan is expected later this month or in early April. The proposed China fund manager merger comes as regulators push wider consolidation across