Singapore

With a decline of 16% in deal volumes and 29% in deal values in Q1 2012 over last year, Asia has not been immune to the global reduction in M&A activity over the last few quarters. However, there were still more than 2,700 transactions and $117 billion of total disclosed deal value involving Asian targets or acquirors in Q1 and Asia remains a certain destination for companies looking to gain exposure to fast-growing consumer markets or to assets in strategically important or demographically attractive industries such as energy and healthcare.

Global Banks have a grueling task of repositioning their business portfolio in view of financial upheavals in the wake of European crisis and American journey, to achieve financial freedom. In parallel to this unstable scene, revenue models in retail banking are radically changing, as traditional revenue sources of transaction-driven volumes are drying up and are being replaced with new wave of portfolio-driven revenue propositions, where customers are increasingly expecting banks to guide their financial destiny.

We proposed that Barclays should be split into two separate banks - one focused on retail banking and the other on investment banking - in our 5 July Commentary. That presumed, of course, that the investment bank would be viable and able to fund itself on a stand-alone basis in today's challenging markets.

Analysts believe DBS' acquisition of Bank Danamon is likely to go ahead despite the new regulations - but on what grounds?

Banks may also see opportunities in open account trade or supply chain finance despite economic instability.

ANZ Transactive will allow real-time checking of current balances and approving or rejecting key payments.

As DBS' new managing director, head of international clients and wealth structuring, Triggs will be recruiting bankers with strong international linkages.

The large trading gains in 1Q will unlikely be repeated this time around.

The global banking industry is pretty much at an all time low in terms of reputation. Nowhere is this so true as in the UK, where it might have been thought that public opinion of the banks could hardly have sunk any lower in the aftermath of the financial crisis that has enveloped the global economy since 2008. But in the past few weeks a processing malfunction at RBS seriously affected millions of customer accounts, while the Libor rate-fixing scandal that has claimed the jobs of Barclays Chairman, Marcus Agius and Chief Executive, Bob Diamond.

Private banks are in for a competitive market to serve Asia's rich with a whopping wealth of US$10.7 trillion.

UOB's loan growth is also like to trend towards the lowteens of 10-12%.

Bankers say there is no 'one size fits all' solution nowadays.

Royal Bank of Scotland pulled out of a Singapore panel setting interbank lending rates.

Supervision of Spain’s troubled banking system has now passed largely into the hands of inspectors drawn from the European Commission, the IMF, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Banking Authority (EBA). This follows agreement by the European authorities to provide Spanish banks directly with up to €100bn of new capital via the EFSF bailout fund.

Many banks across the Asia Pacific (APAC) geography are implementing Core Banking products. These banks expect that a modern Core Banking product would give them a competitive edge, the ability to launch new products faster, lower operational costs and improve customer service. Unlike Europe or America, which are large with fairly standard banking offerings, the APAC geography is actually characterized by much more variety in its range of offerings.

The shift in the wealth management landscape from a client and regulatory perspective have significant technology implications for Asian Wealth Managers. There are three key areas in Wealth Technology that is taking centre-stage; namely, an increasing focus on client-centricity, using compliance as a competitive advantage, and a relentless focus on lowering the cost to serve through platform change.