The Asian Banker

08/09/2026

Can banks make continuous change in core banking infrastructure safe?

Cloud and AI are changing what banks can build. The harder challenge is creating an operating model that allows products, data and infrastructure to evolve continuously without weakening resilience, control or trust with customers and regulators.

07/09/2026

Can AI change the economics of core modernisation?

Temenos CEO Takis Spiliopoulos says banks are becoming more disciplined about the cost and returns from AI, while exploring whether the technology can reduce implementation and upgrade effort and change the economics that have made core modernisation slow, expensive and risky.

07/09/2026

Can BPI turn a more diversified loan book into sustainable growth?

BPI president and CEO Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco is seeking to reduce the bank’s historical dependence on institutional lending by growing consumer and SME businesses faster, while higher credit costs and a weaker economic environment are testing the economics of that shift.

03/09/2026

Best SME Bank in Taiwan
Supporting SMEs. Strengthening Taiwan’s economy.

E.SUN Bank has been recognised at the The Asian Banker Taiwan Awards 2026 for its contribution to Taiwan’s SME banking sector.

The recognition highlights the important role banks play in supporting SMEs, which remain an important driver of Taiwan’s economic development.

Congratulations to E.SUN Bank on this achievement and its continued commitment to supporting the SME community.

Read more about the Taiwan Awards 2026: https://tabglobalawards.com/taiwan-awards

01/09/2026

Can CIMB’s wholesale expansion lift underlying earnings?

CIMB’s second-quarter net profit rose 2.6%, while asset growth and client income helped cushion narrower margins. Wholesale banking accounted for 42% of first-half profit before tax as loans expanded, although the division’s operating income remained broadly flat and higher provision writebacks ...

01/09/2026

Can Maybank sustain fee and funding gains as credit costs normalise?

Maybank’s second-quarter net profit rose 2.4% as stronger fees and lower impairment charges narrowed the first-half decline. Wealth fees and current and savings account deposits extended the gains identified at FY2025, while credit-cost normalisation and planned full ownership of Etiqa change the ...

31/08/2026

The Asian Banker Taiwan Awards 2026 highlight banking leadership, sustainable finance and digital innovation

The Asian Banker Taiwan Awards 2026 recognise CTBC Bank, E.SUN Bank and Cathay United Bank for strengthening retail, wealth management, SME banking and transaction banking while advancing AI, sustainable finance and digital services.

Key highlights:
🔹CTBC Bank received seven institutional awards across retail banking, wealth management, transaction banking, custody and sustainable finance, including Best Retail Bank, Best Wealth Management Bank and Green and Sustainable Bank of the Year in Taiwan.
🔹E.SUN Bank received eight awards, including Best SME Bank in Taiwan, while also being recognised for digital payments, financial inclusion, generative AI and ESG-linked finance.
🔹國泰世華銀行 received five awards across cloud technology, AI and digital services, including recognition for its automated cloud platform, personalised marketing engine and RM AI Assistant.

Together, these achievements highlight how Taiwanese banks are combining scale, technology and customer-focused innovation to strengthen banking franchises, improve efficiency and advance sustainable finance.

View the full list of winners of The Asian Banker Taiwan Awards 2026: https://tabglobalawards.com/taiwan-awards/winners

27/08/2026

The Asian Banker Taiwan Awards 2026 highlight banking leadership, sustainable finance and digital innovation

This year’s awards recognise CTBC Bank’s strengths across retail, wealth management, transaction banking and custody, E.SUN Bank’s combination of SME banking leadership and retail and sustainability innovation and Cathay United Bank’s advances in AI, cloud technology and digital services.

27/08/2026

Can EastWest turn its consumer-banking edge into a broader financial franchise?

EastWest chief executive officer Jerry G. Ngo discusses why the bank intends to retain its consumer-centric identity while expanding into wealth, SME and corporate banking, how it is rebalancing its loan portfolio, and why the economics of AI require a selective approach in the Philippines.

27/08/2026

Can Malaysia turn tokenised sukuk into scalable market infrastructure?

CIMB has moved Malaysia’s tokenisation experiments beyond the digital representation of securities by using tokenised commercial bank deposits to settle MYR 1.38 billion ($343 million) of tokenised sukuk. The pilot coordinated the securities and payment legs on a single ledger, establishing the ca...