Asia Banking
South Korea bank loyalty market expanding to $2.6bn
South Korea’s retail bank loyalty market will grow to $2.6bn by 2035, Spherical Insights & Consulting reported.
India’s HDFC Bank raises $1.75bn through offshore bonds
The Mumbai-listed private sector lender, through its GIFT City branch, raised $500mn via three-year senior unsecured notes and a further $1.25bn through five-year notes.
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China to maintain loan prime rates in August
The central bank's decision to hold key borrowing costs reflects a deliberate pivot towards fiscal deployment rather than monetary easing.
Bangladesh central bank approves conversion of NCC branches to shariah
Bangladesh’s central bank granted formal approval for National Credit and Commerce Bank to convert 20 conventional branches into fully Shariah compliant outlets.
South Korean banks grow Southeast Asian assets 7.1%
Major South Korean financial groups expanded total assets across their main Southeast Asian banking subsidiaries by 7.1% to KRW52.26 trillion in the first half of the year.
India’s banks emerge stronger as NPAs hit record low
India’s banking sector has emerged from a prolonged asset-quality clean-up in a much stronger position, with non-performing assets at their lowest level on record, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman says.
Bank Indonesia launches domestic retail credit card network to cut reliance on Visa, Mastercard
Seeking to enhance the country’s financial infrastructure and lower transaction overheads across domestic commercial networks, Indonesia's central bank has launched its national retail credit card framework.
Singapore banks offset interest margin squeeze with record wealth management fee growth
Singapore’s domestic lenders are insulating overall earnings from global interest rate cuts by expanding their regional wealth management franchises.
Indian central bank moves forex swap scheme deadline forward
India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has moved forward the expiration of its foreign exchange swap incentive mechanism by 30 days to August 31, 2026.
Syria’s central bank opens lira account at Turkey’s central bank
In 2025, Ziraat Bank applied to open a branch in Syria. It is still awaiting a reply from local authorities to further the process.
Istanbul, Dubai fintechs feel heat as US sanctions fire turned on Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani
Sentenced to death in Iran 10 years ago, business magnate and financier has made a comeback at the head of his Dot One conglomerate.
Bangladesh banks lean on government securities as weak credit demand persists
Private sector credit growth in Bangladesh rose marginally to 4.98% in May from 4.75% in April, but continued weakness in business borrowing is prompting banks to rely increasingly on government securities to sustain earnings.
China challenges dollar dominance with Africa-wide yuan clearing hub
China appoints Standard Bank and ICBC to operate Africa's first continent-wide yuan clearing hub, deepening renminbi trade settlement and challenging the greenback's dominance in China-Africa commerce.
Strategists project Singapore dollar to surge to SGD1.26 against US dollar
While Western central banks rely on adjusting benchmark interest rates to cool down hot domestic economies, the Monetary Authority of Singapore utilises the nominal effective exchange rate as its primary policy tool.
Bank Indonesia rate projected to hold at 5.5%
Over a brief three-week window, BI abandoned its traditional, highly predictable monthly schedule to unleash a dual-stage interest rate surge.
Malaysia's ringgit under pressure as Fed outlook, Middle East diplomacy unsettle markets
This local depreciation is not an isolated event, as the Malaysian currency has traded lower against a comprehensive basket of major global and regional peers.
Kazakh president’s pet project gets boost from China
China-Central Asia Monitor: June 5-11, 2026.
Indonesian rupiah back under the IDR18,000 per dollar threshold
After collapsing to its weakest historical evaluation of IDR18,190 per US dollar on the morning of June 8, a powerful wave of institutional dollar-selling triggered a massive short squeeze on speculative positions.
Global funds trigger "Sell Indonesia" shockwave, enforcing 36% IDX composite repricing
Data from the Indonesia Stock Exchange reveals that the Composite Stock Price Index or Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan has plunged more than 36% from its historical peak.
Indonesian rupiah drops to historic low of IDR18,000 per US dollar
The Indonesian Rupiah has entered highly volatile territory, dropping to its weakest historical valuation on record as the currency broke through its psychological support wall to cross the IDR18,000 per US dollar mark.