Retail Banking

Australian and Chinese banks suffer from bank-bashing governments

Why are the banks in two of the world’s better-performing economies under government scrutiny? Read ››

Combined market share of Australia's big four banks

They have a combined market capitalisation of $260 billion and account for almost 87% of the home loan market. Read ››

Singaporean banks prove resilience in stress test: Fitch

Fitch says Singapore banks can fully absorb asset-quality shocks through their earnings alone, thereby leaving a limited impairment risk on capital. Read ››

City Union Bank eyes up to 30% growth

City Union Bank hopes to register a 20-30 percent growth this fiscal amid challenging times. Read ››

DongA Bank earns $24M pretax profit in 4 months

DongA Bank generated a pretax profit of VND500 billion or US24 million in the first four months of this year. Read ››

Vietinbank to conclude 20% stake sale in Q4

VietinBank will conclude a 20% stake sale to a foreign strategic partner in in the fourth quarter. Read ››

AMMB's Pre-Tax Profit Jumps To RM2.082 Billion

AMMB Holdings pre-tax profit for the financial year ended March 31 surged to RM2.082 billion from the RM1.865 billion posted the previous year. Read ››

Commonwealth Bank posts lower than expected $1.69B Q1 profit

Commonwealth Bank of Australia posted a net profit of US$1.69 billion for the first three months of 2012. Read ››

Bank Simpanan posts $332M net income

Bank Simpanan Nasional increased its net income for financial year ended Dec 31, 2011 to RM1.032 billion or US$332 million. Read ››

Solomon Savings Bank CEO arrested for suspected corruption

Prosecutors have arrested the CEO Solomon Savings Bank over allegations he embezzled and illegally lent billions of won. Read ››

HSBC to maximize opportunities in Malaysia

While HSBC Malaysia had been growing in the last two years and was looking at its cost base very carefully, it has yet to fully penerate the Malaysian market. Read ››

Vietnam's rising loans-to-deposits ratio

The pace of credit growth has outstripped the availability of funds since 2008, says Standard & Poor's. Read ››

Will Vietnam reach the 15-17% credit growth rate target this year?

With various difficulties that abound Vietnam's banking system, is the target even possible? Read ››

Banks support Malaysian SME’s overseas expansion

Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises receive more banking support in their quest for higher exports. Read ››

CIMB's acquisition of BoC to diversify operations: Moody's

Moody's gave CIMB Bank Bhd's plan to acquire a 59.98 per cent stake in the Philippines Bank of Commerce positive rating. Read ››

Philippine banks outdid regional rivals in 2011

The Philippines’ central bank claims the country’s banks did better than most of its Southeast Asian rivals. Read ››

People badly hit by closure of Nepalese banks, ATMs

It was the people that suffered most after banks in Baglung shut down their services due to security threats. Read ››

CIMB Bank relocates commercial banking centre

CIMB Bank relocated its commercial banking centre from Jalan Barat to Wisma BU8, Petaling Jaya. Read ››

Singapore's UOB ups Q1 profit by 12%

United Overseas Bank Ltd posted 12 percent rise in quarterly profit due to higher loan margins and fees. Read ››

RBI left to decide on Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank case

It depends on the Reserve Bank of India whether or not to make any further investigation into financial irregularities at the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. Read ››

Vietnam's loan growth and system leverage

Loan growth moderated to 10.9% in 2011, about half the government's target of 20%, according to Standard & Poor's. Read ››

What can we expect from China's amended reserve regulation?

China's Ministry of Finance recently revised its general banking risk reserve norm to at least 1.5% from the current 1% - will this be a boon or a bane? Read ››

South Korea tries to sell Woori again

Bidders interested in acquiring a majority stake in government-owned Woori Finance Holdings have until July 27 to do so. Read ››

Temasek “rebalances” investments in China’s Big Four banks

Singapore's sovereign-wealth fund Temasek Holdings has invested more in China’s largest bank at the expense of two other Big Four banks. Read ››

CIMB buys Philippines’ Bank of Commerce

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd., the largest company on Bursa Malaysia, has taken control of Bank of Commerce, an affiliate of San Miguel Corporation. Read ››

Malaysia's CIMB acquires 60% of Philippines' Bank Of Commerce

CIMB acquired 60 percent of Bank of Commerce of the Philippines for US$288 million. Read ››

Strong demand for PNB tier 2 notes

Philippine National Bank has raised US$82.8 million to finance asset growth and to allow it to maintain a strong capital base. Read ››

South Korea shuts down four savings banks

Failure to meet financial-strength standards proves fatal for four South Korean savings banks. Read ››

Sri Lanka's Union Bank pre-tax profit up 28%

Union Bank reported an operating profit on ordinary activities before tax of Rs. Read ››

Suspended Korean savings banks raided over alleged irregularities

Prosecutors have raided four savings banks to investigate alleged irregularities that led to their suspension a day earlier. Read ››

Woori union opposes privitization

The labor union of Woori vowed to launch a general strike if the government continues plans to sell it to another banking group. Read ››

RHB Bank anticipates 10-12% loan growth

RHB Bank acting director, Vince Au Yoong, is confident that the loans sector will continue to grow but will see a slightly lower margin compared with last year. Read ››

Singaporean banks are the world’s strongest

Two Singaporean banks lead Bloomberg Markets’ second annual ranking of the world’s strongest banks. Read ››

Baroda hopes to maintain net interest margin at 3.41-3.61 %

Bank of Baroda hopes to achieve a net interest margin in the range of 3.41-3.61 percent in the current financial year. Read ››

Vijaya Bank focuses on low-cost deposit base

Vijaya Bank will focus more  on increasing its low-cost deposit base as it aims a 20 percent growth in overall business. Read ››

Chinese banks gear-up for massive foreign expansion

It’s only a matter of time before China’s banks venture overseas in large numbers to support Chinese businessmen around the globe. Read ››

Woori Finance's net up 33% in Q1

Woori Finance's first-quarter net jumped 33 percent to 668.6 billion won or US$590.8 million from 502.6 billion won last year. Read ››

ANZ posts record profit on expanding China business

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd reports a record profit of US$3 billion in its first-half ending March. Read ››

Bank Jabar enjoys 21% lending growth

Bank Jabar reported a 21 percent increase in lending in the first quarter of the year. Read ››

Will DBS get a go-ahead for its bid for Bank Danamon?

If so, what can both banks expect from the takeover? Read ››