Asia-Pacific
Banking and finance news from China, Japan, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific
AgBank posts 3.18% rise in 2025 profit, fastest among China's big five lenders
Agricultural Bank of China's net profit rose to about 291 billion yuan in 2025, outpacing its state-owned peers, while its net interest margin slipped to 1.28% at the end of the year.
Maybank Pioneers On-Chain MYR-SGD Tokenised Deposits Pilot
Malaysia's Maybank has completed its first on-chain transaction converting tokenised ringgit deposits to Singapore dollars for Yinson Holdings, showcasing near real-time cross-border payments via its permissioned blockchain.
Taiwan's SinoPac Bank to Absorb King's Town in Major Merger
Taiwan's Bank SinoPac will merge with King's Town Bank, issuing 1.865 billion shares worth 44.76 billion New Taiwan dollars plus cash to acquire its sibling under parent SinoPac Financial. The deal positions SinoPac as the surviving entity amid a 3% share drop for the holding company.
Philippines' UNO Digital Bank Hits Break-Even in Feb 2026
UNO Digital Bank in the Philippines achieved operating break-even in February 2026, signaling a shift to sustainability after four years. The lender targets an active loan book of over PHP 10 billion by the end of 2026.
RBI Imposes ₹2.18 Crore in Penalties on Union Bank, Bank of India, and Central Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India fined three public sector lenders a combined ₹2.18 crore for KYC failures, lending breaches, and electronic transaction lapses.
China Mulls Easing Bank Shareholder Caps; Bank Stocks Gain
Chinese regulators are weighing relaxed shareholding limits for major investors in banks to aid capital raising amid economic strains, sparking gains in Hong Kong-listed Chinese bank stocks on Friday.
Singapore's Tazapay raises US$36m Series B to expand licensing and agentic payments
Singapore-based payments firm Tazapay closed a Series B extension led by Circle Ventures, taking total Series B to US$36 million to expand licensing, go-to-market efforts and agentic payment infrastructure.
Ping An Posts 10.3% Rise in 2025 Operating Profit
Ping An Insurance (Group) of China reported a 10.3% year-on-year rise in operating profit after tax to RMB134.4 billion for 2025, with shareholder equity topping RMB1 trillion for the first time. Strong life insurance growth and improved P&C underwriting while Ping An Bank's net profit fell 4.2%.
Shinhan Financial Group Reappoints Jin Ok-dong as Chairman for a Second Three-Year Term
Shinhan Financial Group's shareholders approved Jin Ok-dong for a second three-year term as chairman on 26 March, extending his tenure through 2029.
SCB Terminates Home Credit Vietnam Acquisition After Conditions Precedent Cannot Be Met
SCBX's SCB board approved the termination of its $796m acquisition of Home Credit Vietnam on 20 March 2026, after conditions precedent could not be fulfilled.
Singapore Fintech Fingular Launches Shariah-Compliant Tazee Brand in Malaysia
Singapore-based fintech Fingular has launched Tazee, a Shariah-compliant consumer finance platform in Malaysia using Islamic financing principles to serve consumers seeking fast, small-ticket Shariah-compliant digital financing.
Asia Payments Group, Monash University Forge Three-Year Research Pact
Emerging Payments Association Asia and Monash University Malaysia have launched a three-year partnership targeting quantum-safe cryptography, stablecoins, fraud prevention, and remittances to shape Asia-Pacific payments policy.