RETHINKING MATTERS

Trading in the ‘Year of Geopolitics’

Asian investors should take a more nuanced approach than either pure complacency or panic selling

South Korean stocks on Thursday added another 3.8%, having already leapfrogged French and German markets to become the ninth largest in size globally.

World’s top money managers favour emerging markets, Citi says

The shift is a consequence of policy uncertainty and blowout fiscal deficit in the US

Schonfeld has around 200 employees in the region, with its largest office in Hong Kong.

Schonfeld to start second equity unit focusing on Asia-Pacific

Triwood Asset Management’s operations will be spread across Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and New York

The figures highlight how Singapore’s lenders are relying more on wealth fees as loan margins narrow.

Singapore banks draw S$77 billion in new wealth from Asia’s rich

Stability draws the wealthy to Singapore as shifting global policies spark a rethink on asset homes

Large policies like indexed universal life are a tool in legacy planning as their cash payout makes it possible to equalise the distribution of an estate to heirs, unlike real estate or a business.
MIND THE GAP

Indexed universal life plans hit the sweet spot among wealthy and mass-affluent clients

Demand for such jumbo policies is driven by rising wealth creation in Asia-Pacific

Carlton Crabbe, chief executive of Capital for Life, says most problems in indexed universal life arise not from fees, but from unrealistic expectations or clients failing to fund the policy consistently and on time.

Points to consider before you commit to an indexed universal life plan

It is important to revisit the plan periodically, and ensure that you are able to consistently fund the premiums

The competition for top talent is pushing firms to reimagine the ways they distribute pay.

Bosses ditch ‘peanut-butter’ pay in favour of giving big raises to top talent

Stiff competition for standout talent is prompting more managers to reward the very best, while ignoring the rest

Sales of software-as-a-service companies such as Salesforce have pulled back sharply, as a new breed of agentic AI is seen to encroach upon the territory of established platforms.
A SMART LOOK AT INVESTING

Code is cheap. Trust is not

The durable edge in investing has always been in what is hard to see: trust, relationships, switching costs and institutional knowledge

The playbook for the first half of 2026 is straightforward: rebalance rather than de-risk, emphasise platform quality and insure the tail risks.
CIO CORNER

How to stay invested – with safety gear

In markets, policy, positioning and earnings enable participation while buffering against shocks

BlackRock said that falling inflation means the high yields available on corporate bonds are becoming more attractive in real terms.

BlackRock bets on corporate bonds over ‘volatile’ sovereigns as inflation ebbs

Investment giant warns government bond markets face more volatility as defence and infrastructure spending surges