Amala Balakrishner

Independent wealth manager WRISE Group has made an investment of HK$30 million (US$3.82 million) to establish WRISE AI Labs to accelerate AI adoption across the group. Launched on Thursday in Hong Kong, the lab will focus on automating routine client servicing and providing advanced analytics, giving advisers more capacity to focus on client relationships, Derrick Tan, group executive chairman of…

South Korea's stock market has swung from one of Asia's standout performers to one of its most volatile markets in recent weeks. Yet private banks and asset managers remain broadly constructive, advising ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) to stay selective on the country's long-term equity story. The tech-heavy KOSPI index has fallen sharply by 38.6% from its 22 June…

Property has long been a highly sought-after investment in Singapore, with the luxury residential segment being a closely watched pocket of the market. Data from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield Singapore shows that luxury residential sales — defined as units priced above S$3,000 (US$2,340) per square foot (PSF) and S$5 million in total — rose from 111 units in…

As private banks across Asia compete for the loyalty of ultra high net worth families, non-financial touchpoints are increasingly defining brand stickiness. For Swiss pure play Pictet, central to this approach is Collection Pictet, a curated body of nearly 1,200 artworks displayed across the group's 31 global offices. The collection's chief curator and global head of arts for Pictet Group,…

The traditional model for serving non-resident Indian (NRI) family offices is shifting as a new generation of ultra high net worth (UHNW) Indians living overseas take a more global approach to wealth and investment, according to executives at Farro Capital. That shift is also narrowing the distinctions between family offices established by global Indians and those of other UHNW international…

Singapore equities are on track for their fifth consecutive quarter of gains, prompting private wealth managers to upgrade their outlooks as state-backed liquidity injections begin addressing long-standing valuation discounts. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) has climbed around 23% since the start of the year, supported largely by the Singapore Exchange's (SGX) efforts to unlock value and develop the equity…

Singapore single-family office (SFO) Kimen Group has slashed its legacy real estate allocation as it pivots toward global equities and private debt, aiming to build a diversified portfolio capable of outlasting its founding generation, executive director Arthur Aw told Asian Private Banker. Kimen Group was established by Arthur Aw's late father, Aw Kim Chen, in 1971, after he built his…

Barclays has relaunched its private banking booking centre, nearly a decade after selling its local and Hong Kong wealth business to Bank of Singapore. The UK bank launched the Singapore booking centre on Friday, giving its private bank the ability to book clients locally while connecting them to its existing booking centres in the UK, Switzerland and India. The move…

As domestic demand moderates and Western trade barriers mount, Deutsche Bank Private Bank (Deutsche Bank PB) is steering private wealth portfolios toward Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers that have sizable global market share. “The market has been very focused on AI,” Jacky Tang, chief investment officer and head of discretionary portfolio management for emerging markets, told Asian Private Banker. “Of…

Ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) are moving beyond traditional cheque-writing philanthropy towards more structured, measurable and strategically driven giving, with younger generations playing an increasingly active role, according to Maximilian Martin, global head of philanthropy at Lombard Odier. “Giving is becoming more closely connected to succession, governance, family values and long-term purpose,” Martin told Asian Private Banker. Younger donors,…