Asean needs deeper financial integration

Singapore

REGIONAL expansion of Asean companies has been limited to date because of fragmented financial markets, said a Moody's Investors Service report.

Deeper financial integration between Asean member states is needed for its corporates to expand within the region, according to the Oct 8 report.

Within Asean, Singapore and Malaysian companies have dominated cross border acquisitions due to better access to funding, it said.

Between 2004 and 2014, cross-border acquisitions within the region represented just 9 per cent of total acquisitions by Asean-domiciled companies, compared to 55 per cent for domes…