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DBS, which is also Southeast Asia's largest lender, has already forecast a record full-year profit for the current year. "Net profit (for 2024) to be maintained around record 2023 level," CEO Piyush Gupta said in results presentation materials. The bank's July-September net profit rose to S$2.63 billion ($1.94 billion) from S$2.24 billion a year earlier as total income grew to a record on higher interest margins and fee income. Besides higher global interest rates, Singapore banks have benefitted from strong inflows of wealth drawn in by the city-state's political stability. Smaller peer United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) reported in end-October a weaker-than-expected 1% drop in third-quarter net profit.

Persons: Ann Wang, Piyush Gupta, Gupta, Yantoultra Ngui, Josie Kao Organizations: DBS, REUTERS, Bank, Q3 SINGAPORE, LSEG, United Overseas Bank, Chinese Banking Corp, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Singapore

☆ CIMB, J Trust among suitors for Indonesia's Bank Commonwealth -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Malaysian bank CIMB (CIMB.KL) and Japanese finance company J Trust (8508.T) are among firms vying to buy Indonesia's PT Bank Commonwealth, a deal that could value the lender at $400-$500 million, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Bank Commonwealth, which is 99% owned by Australia's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) (CBA.AX), focuses on retail lending as well as corporate banking services for small and medium enterprises. 2 bank, and J Trust have expressed interest and are looking at submitting binding bids, the sources said. CIMB, J Trust, CBA and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. Bank Commonwealth did not respond to a Reuters request seeking comment.

Persons: Bazuki Muhammad, Morgan Stanley, Yantoultra Ngui, Anton Bridge, Kane Wu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: CIMB, REUTERS, Rights, J Trust, Indonesia's PT Bank Commonwealth, Bank Commonwealth, Australia's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CBA, Bank International Indonesia, China's, China's Bank of, SS, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Rights SINGAPORE, Malaysian, Indonesia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, China's Bank, China's Bank of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, Singapore, Tokyo

☆ Southeast Asia haze returns as peatland fires fan global warming fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch now"The issue is that currently, most governments haven't really looked at the haze and climate change as a unified issue, yet. Something seasonal, that comes and goes, while climate change is something constant and developing," she added. United Nations Environment ProgramMalaysian officials are undoubtedly haunted by the memory of the 2015 and 2019 transboundary haze episodes. School closures were effected in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore — affecting nearly four million students in Malaysia alone. Vicious cycle in the peatlandsThe haze in southern Southeast Asia is emitted mostly from massive peatland fires in Sumatra and Borneo.

Persons: Al Zulkifli, Helena Varkkey, haven't, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Jusuf Kalla, El Nino, El, Vicious, Varkkey, Sharon Seah, Ulet Ifansasti Organizations: Afp, Getty, El Nino, Universiti, CNBC, ASEAN, Jakarta Globe, United Nations Environment Program Malaysian, World Bank, Kuala, Airport, Nurphoto, ASEAN Specialized Meteorological, Asia, Yusof, Institute, United Nations Environment Program, UNEP, Malaysian, Anadolu Agency, Global, Greenpeace, Oil Locations: Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Al, Southeast Asia, Asia, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Malaysia, Indonesian, Jakarta, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Sumatra, El Nino, Borneo, Palem Raya, Borneo . Forest, Anadolu, Eco

☆ Warburg Pincus to invest in Everise, valuing US healthcare outsourcing company at $1bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We have continued to see strong underlying demand for quality customer experience, driven by an increasing outsourcing trend across the global healthcare industry," Warburg Pincus' Mumbai-based managing director Viraj Sawhney said in the statement. Warburg Pincus has invested in the healthcare sector for over five decades and counts Ensemble Health Partners, which offers revenue cycle management for healthcare firms, and U.S consumer healthcare navigation company Quantum Health among its portfolio companies, according to the statement. The entry of Warburg Pincus into Everise will see Singapore-headquartered private equity firm Everstone Group exiting the company, according to the statement, which said the transaction is expected to close by the end of this year. Founded in 2016, Everise has over 19,000 employees in eight markets from Singapore to India, according to its website. Brookfield, with some $850 billion in assets under management, agreed to buy into Everise from Everstone in 2020.

Persons: Warburg Pincus, Everise, Viraj Sawhney, Yantoultra Ngui, Kane Wu, Catherine Evans, Emelia Organizations: Health Partners, Quantum Health, Everstone Group, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Everise, U.S, Brookfield, Mumbai, Singapore, India, Everstone

☆ Singapore's central bank looking into banks' role in $1.8 bln money laundering case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Singapore's central bank said on Tuesday it was looking into whether banks involved in a S$2.4 billion ($1.75 billion) money laundering scandal in the global wealth hub had taken all reasonable steps to mitigate risks. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will take action if its findings reveal shortcomings in the banks' controls, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Singapore police last month arrested and charged 10 foreigners including from China, in one of the biggest anti-money laundering swoops. The scandal has raised questions on whether the banks are strictly following the city-state's stringent anti-money laundering rules. ($1 = 1.3677 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yantoultra Ngui, Sumeet Chatterjee, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore, MAS, FIs, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Singapore, Asia

Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Resources, Inc., speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The idea that investment opportunities in China have met their demise is probably overhyped, said Jenny Johnson, president and chief executive officer at global investment management firm Franklin Templeton. "There is a lot of pessimism built into the pricing," she said at a session at the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore. Johnson's comments came as global investors have reduced their appetite for China, discouraged by the country's faltering economic recovery and tensions with the West. Meanwhile, Johnson also sees opportunities in secondary private equities and private credit globally.

Persons: Jenny Johnson, Mike Blake, Franklin Templeton, Johnson, Franklin, Legg Mason, Johnson's, Gina Raimondo, Yantoultra Ngui, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Franklin Resources, Inc, Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, Rights, Forbes Global, Conference, West, . Commerce, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Rights SINGAPORE, China, Singapore, West .

☆ Indonesia's Pertamina Geothermal in talks to buy KS Orka unit for up to $1 bln - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Geothermal developer KS Orka had earlier this year appointed DBS to explore the sale of Sorik Marapi, the sources said, declining to be identified as the matter is private. Pertamina Geothermal and KS Orka did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment on Friday. If the deal materialises, it could mark one of the biggest by Pertamina Geothermal since its domestic initial public offering in February. KS Orka acquired a majority share of the company in mid-2016, the website showed, without disclosing the value. Besides Sorik Marapi, KS Orka's other projects include PT Sokoria Geothermal Indonesia in East Nusa Tenggara, KS Orka's website showed.

Persons: Sorik Marapi, Sorik, Yantoultra Ngui, Fransiska Nangoy, Kane Wu, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Pertamina Geothermal, Pertamina Geothermal Energy, KS Orka Renewables, KS Orka, DBS, KS Orka's, Orka, Kaishan, Sokoria Geothermal, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Indonesia, Southeast, Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra, Sokoria Geothermal Indonesia, East Nusa Tenggara, KS, Singapore

☆ Malaysia's Permodalan Nasional weighs $2.15 bln automakers merger in EV push - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PNB holds 60.6% of industrial group UMW Holdings (UMWS.KL), which in turn owns 38% of Perodua, the country's biggest automaker by market share. PNB, Sime Darby, UMW and Perodua declined to comment. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has EV maker VinFast , while Indonesia has nickel producers including Merdeka Battery (MBMA.JK) and Trimegah Bangun (NCKL.JK) supplying the key battery metal in the global EV supply chain. Sime Darby Motor has been pushing for the adoption of EVs in Malaysia. Perodua is also eyeing breaking into the EV market and embarked last year on a study to build its first hybrid vehicle.

Persons: Otomobil, Sime Darby, PNB, Trimegah, Yantoultra Ngui, Tom Hogue, Sonali Paul Organizations: Malaysia EV, EV, Sime Darby, Permodalan, Darby Motors, State, Sime, Sime Darby Motors, UMW Holdings, country's, Daihatsu, MBM Resources, Mitsui & Co, VinFast, Merdeka, Sime Darby Motor, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, Malaysia SINGAPORE, Permodalan Nasional, Malaysian, Southeast Asia, Perodua's, Perodua, UMW, Vietnam, Indonesia, The Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia

The quarterly results from OCBC, also Southeast Asia's second largest lender by assets, rounded up a strong earnings season by Singapore banks as DBS Group (DBSM.SI) and United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) also delivered double-digit profit growth. Besides higher interest rates, Singapore lenders have also benefited from strong inflows from wealthy customers amid global uncertainty, including U.S.-China geopolitical tensions, because of the city-state's status as a financial safe-haven. Higher interest rates and slower economic growth could raise asset-quality risks for businesses and individual customers, he said, adding weak loan demand could negatively impact net interest income growth momentum once margin expansion peaks. OCBC said April-June net profit climbed to S$1.71 billion ($1.28 billion) from S$1.28 billion a year earlier mainly driven by better income growth and partly offset by higher allowances for non-impaired assets. The figure compared with a mean estimate of a S$1.76 billion profit from four analysts polled by Refinitiv.

Persons: ROE, Thilan Wickramasinghe, OCBC, NIM, Yantoultra Ngui, Tom Hogue, Shri Navaratnam, Jamie Freed Organizations: Chinese Banking Corp, DBS, United Overseas Bank, Maybank Securities, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Asia's, U.S, China, Malaysia

☆ Singapore bank OCBC second-quarter earnings rise; sees rate cuts from 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The quarterly results from OCBC, also Southeast Asia's second largest lender by assets, rounded up a strong earnings season by Singapore banks as DBS Group (DBSM.SI) and United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) also delivered double-digit profit growth. Besides higher interest rates, Singapore lenders have also benefited from strong inflows from wealthy customers amid global uncertainty, including U.S.-China geopolitical tensions, because of the city-state's status as a financial safe-haven. The figure compared with a mean estimate of a S$1.76 billion profit from four analysts polled by Refinitiv. The bank projected its full-year net interest margin, a key profitability gauge, to be above 2.2%, return on equity in the range of 14% and low-to-mid single-digit loan growth. ($1 = 1.3410 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Tom Hogue, Shri Navaratnam and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: ROE, Helen Wong, Thilan Wickramasinghe, OCBC, Wong, Yantoultra Ngui, Tom Hogue, Shri Navaratnam, Jamie Freed Organizations: Chinese Banking Corp, DBS, United Overseas Bank, Maybank Securities, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Asia's, U.S, China, Malaysia

A logo of DBS is pictured outside an office in Singapore January 5, 2016. DBS, which is also Southeast Asia's largest lender by assets, said April-June net profit hit a quarterly record high S$2.69 billion ($2.69 billion) compared to S$1.82 billion a year earlier. DBS' NIM, a key profitability gauge, rose for sixth consecutive quarter to 2.16% during the quarter from 1.58% a year earlier. Return on equity hit new quarterly high of 19.2%, up from 13.4% the same quarter a year ago. ($1 = 1.3411 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Edgar Su, NIM, Piyush Gupta, Gupta, Yantoultra Ngui, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: DBS, REUTERS, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Hong Kong

The hectic pace of activity comes after private credit funds targeting Asia jumped 76% last year to a record $11.2 billion, driven by both regional and India-dedicated strategies, according to Global Private Capital Association. As large global sponsors continue to invest into multi-billion dollar Asia-focused credit funds such as Apollo, Blackstone and KKR, the Asian private credit industry is set for further boom, Robert Wright, partner in law firm Baker McKenzie, said. The string of new private credit funds come against the backdrop of startups facing the threat of having down rounds. Nevertheless, alternative financing such as private credit does not come cheap, industry experts warned. Private credit firms usually arrange loans, with assets secured, on a floating rate basis.

Persons: GPCA, Singapore's SeaTown, Europe's 21yield, Nicholas Mairone, Robert Wright, Baker McKenzie, SeaTown, Rakshat Kapoor, Camille Krejci, Parthiv Rishi, Sidley Austin, Siew Kam Boon, Yantoultra Ngui, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: Asia, SINGAPORE, Global Private Capital Association . Industry, Silicon Valley Bank, Blackstone, KKR, Reuters Graphics, Bain Capital, India's, Mahindra Bank, Hong Kong's ADM, SoftBank Investment Advisers, Reuters, Prosus NV, Thomson Locations: Asia, India, Singapore, United States, North America, Silicon, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong

☆ Exclusive: Malaysian tycoon weighs selling a stake in $2.7 bln port business -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His conglomerate MMC Corp may sell a stake of up to 30% in MMC Ports, said one of the people, adding that financial investors and companies have approached MMC Corp about their interest in the ports business. A sale could be a precursor to a potential MMC Ports listing on the Malaysian stock exchange in a few years, said the sources. MMC Corp and MMC Ports did not respond to requests seeking comment. MMC Ports has seven ports in Malaysia - Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Johor Port, Northport, Penang Port, Tanjung Bruas Port, SPT Services and Andaman Port, according to its website. MMC Corp also owns stakes in Malaysia's largest independent power producer Malakoff Corp (MALA.KL) and the country's only supplier of reticulated natural gas in Peninsular Malaysia, Gas Malaysia (GASM.KL).

☆ Singapore bank OCBC posts record quarterly profit, upgrades margin guidance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Thomson Reuters | Yantoultra Ngui Is A Southeast Asia Deals Correspondent With Reuters In Singapore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OCBC, which is also Southeast Asia's second-biggest bank by assets, said January-March net profit rose 39% to S$1.88 billion ($1.42 billion), beating the mean estimate of S$1.74 billion from five analysts polled by Refinitiv. OCBC reported a total net interest margin, a key gauge of profitability, of 2.30% for the first quarter, up from 1.55% in the same period a year earlier. The bank forecast a full-year net interest margin of about 2.2%, up from 2.1% previously. The first quarter was also strong for Singapore's other major banks, with larger peer DBS Group (DBSM.SI) reporting last week a 43% jump in first quarter net profit that was also a record. Smaller United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) posted last month a 74% surge in core net profit.

OCBC, which is also Southeast Asia's second-biggest bank by assets, said January-March net profit rose to a record S$1.88 billion ($1.42 billion) from S$1.36 billion a year earlier. The bank reported a total net interest margin, a key gauge of profitability, of 2.30% for the first quarter, up from 1.55% in the same period a year earlier. OCBC expected full-year net interest margin in the region of 2.2%. The first quarter was also strong for Singapore's other major banks, with larger peer DBS Group (DBSM.SI) reporting last week a 43% jump in first quarter net profit that was also a record. Smaller United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) posted last month a 74% surge in core net profit.

DBS, which is also Southeast Asia's largest lender by assets, said January-March net profit rose to S$2.57 billion ($1.92 billion) from S$1.8 billion a year ago, beating a mean estimate of S$2.44 billion from five analysts polled by Refinitiv. Return on equity rose to a new high of 18.6% in the first quarter from 13.1% the same quarter a year earlier, according to its financial statement. Smaller peer United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) reported on Thursday a 74% surge in core net profit in the first quarter from a year earlier on the back of strong net interest and non- interest income growth. DBS, which earns most of its profit from Singapore and Hong Kong, declared a dividend of 42 Singapore cents per share for the first quarter. ($1 = 1.3362 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Southeast Asia's largest lender by assets however said its net interest margin likely peaked in the first quarter and there would be a gradual decline. January-March net profit rose to S$2.57 billion ($1.9 billion) from S$1.8 billion a year ago, beating a mean estimate of S$2.44 billion from five analysts polled by Refinitiv. DBS reported a total net interest margin, a key gauge of profitability, of 2.12% for the first quarter, up from 1.46% in the same period a year earlier. DBS expected full-year net interest margin at 2.05% to 2.10%. DBS, which earns most of its profit from Singapore and Hong Kong, declared a dividend of 42 Singapore cents per share for the first quarter.

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