Hong Kong’s economy remains sound but the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is tamping down property loans and issuance of long-term personal loans. With the stricter regulations, the challenge for Hong Kong banks is not asset quality but pricing.

Banks are integrating new technologies into their core businesses to improve their digital banking presence and speed-to-deliver

Can the industry withstand the current combination of low interest rates, strong housing price growth and higher household indebtedness?

Chinese private banks are upgrading philanthropic planning services to cater to increased demand following the country’s ‘common prosperity’ policy

Exponential leaps in artificial intelligence and its rising adoption in the financial services industry mean that some risks need to be assessed and managed along the way

Banks have been investing in AI over the last few years, focusing on specific use cases. They must now scale AI across their business processes and incorporate emerging advancements in GenAI.

Banks in Asia Pacific invested an estimated $63 billion towards technology in 2022. The annual spending on technology is expected to increase by 7.5% in 2023 to $68 billion.

Philippine digital banks saw rapid growth in 2023 alongside mounting concerns over credit quality as gross NPL ratios soared

The top 10 digital banks saw revenue grow from $41 billion in 2022 to about $49 billion in 2023

Most of Asia Pacific witnessed a slight slowdown in SME loan growth in 2023, but the regional average increased marginally, led by Australia, while concerns remain over SME loan quality, notably in Thailand

China’s economy grew faster than expected at the start of the year but it remains to be seen if it signals a solid recovery trend as the crisis-hit property sector bears down on growth

From 2019 to 2023, the share of consumer finance relative to total retail lending declined in Hong Kong and South Korea, but increased significantly in the Philippines.