The Week Ahead: Asia, week to 27 September 2026

Economies: the week just gone

US, China agree 10m tonnes coal imports, pursue tariff cuts: Beijing will import 10 million metric tons of US coal annually in 2027 and 2028, with both nations pursuing tariff reductions on US$30 billion in goods.

Johor Sees RM59.4bn H1 2026 Investments; JS-SEZ Impact Undefined: Malaysia's Johor state attracted RM59.4 billion (US$14.6 billion) in approved investments during the first half of 2026, MIDA reported, though the specific contribution from the Johor-Singapore SEZ remains unclear.

Singapore Law Society Seeks CEO Amid Governance Review: The Law Society of Singapore has posted a job advertisement for a new Chief Executive Officer, tasked with strengthening the body's culture and governance following an internal audit and police investigation.

Philippine DOE forecasts P8 diesel cut on Saudi export return: The Department of Energy anticipates a P6 per litre reduction for kerosene, with a smaller P0.90 cut for gasoline still under review, following global market shifts.

US Mortgage Rates Exceed 7% to Two-Year High: The contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage reached 7.12% last week, marking the highest point since May 2024 and dampening home financing applications.

Markets: the week just gone

Vietnamese Dong Weakens on Black Market Against US Dollar: Vietnam's unofficial exchange rate saw the dong trade at VND26,000 to the US dollar on Saturday, a 0.27% depreciation, while Vietcombank maintained its official rate.

Ligent Technologies jumps 4.6% on Hong Kong debut, raises HK$5.6bn: The optical communications unit of Hisense Group closed its first trading day last Tuesday with a valuation exceeding HK$35 billion, as mainland firms seek overseas capital.

China Consumer Stocks Plunge 18% as AI Focus Diverts Capital: MSCI China consumer goods sub-indexes hit near 10-year lows, contrasting sharply with tech gains, as August retail sales growth remained minimal.

Eswin Seeks US$300 Million Hong Kong IPO, Trading October 8: Chinese RISC-V chipmaker Beijing Eswin Computing Technology will begin soliciting investor orders on Monday for its Hong Kong initial public offering, aiming to raise around US$300 million.

HSBC: Asian Equities in AI Boom, Yields Tug of War: Herald van der Linde, HSBC's head of equity strategy for Asia-Pacific, notes a more positive stance on regional equities after the US Federal Reserve's September rate hike.

Banking & Fintech: the week just gone

Wise Launches Multi-Currency Account, Card in Thailand: Wise has introduced its multi-currency account and debit card for Thai users, facilitating payments and currency conversion for over 40 denominations. The service integrates with PromptPay and regional QR networks.

DBS, Avaloq Boost Wealth Tech Partnership for S$1 Trillion Goal: Singapore's DBS Bank aims to reach S$1 trillion in retail and wealth assets by 2030, deepening its 18-year technology alliance with Avaloq to develop new capabilities.

SBI, HDFC Bank branches close today, open Sunday ahead of strike: Major Indian private lenders and public sector banks will see varied operations this weekend, with a nationwide labour action planned for next week that could disrupt services.

Pine Labs, Google Cloud Build AI Commerce for Indian Merchants: The collaboration uses Google Cloud’s Gemini technology to develop agentic infrastructure for merchant discovery, marketing, operations, and payments across India.

EBANX Targets Pakistan for Digital Payment Expansion by Mid-2027: The payment processor will support local digital wallets and Pakistan's national instant payment system, following recent market entries across Southeast Asia and Türkiye.

Industries: the week just gone

Oil Futures Drop as US, Iran Discuss Hormuz Shipping Route: West Texas Intermediate futures settled near $92 a barrel, marking their first weekly decline since late August amid hopes for increased crude supply from US-Iran talks.

CP Group family gifts $1M Bangkok condo to Thai talent winner: Thailand's second-richest Chearavanont family, owners of CP Group, presented a luxury unit at Mulberry Grove The Forestias Condominiums to Nene Royal.

Singapore's UOL discusses US$382 million Hong Kong hotel purchase: The Wee family's UOL is negotiating to acquire 50% stakes from Hong Kong's New World Development and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in the Hyatt Regency Kowloon.

Singapore Leads Global Commercial Property Inflows with US$8.7 Billion: Singapore attracted the largest share of cross-border investment in commercial property during the first half of 2026, as worldwide transactions surged 56% to US$71.8 billion.

Google's Mandiant flags renewed ShinyHunters attacks on Oracle PeopleSoft: Google's cybersecurity unit, Mandiant, reported the hacking group ShinyHunters bypassed previous security measures to exploit a flaw in Oracle's PeopleSoft, affecting dozens of global systems.

Wealth: the week just gone

Singapore PSD probes S$138m civil servant property deals: The Public Service Division is reviewing transactions between 2007 and 2011, after research cited 113 purchases totalling S$138 million near future MRT stations.

Pune ITAT Cancels ₹2.21 Lakh Tax Penalty for Bosch Employee: The tribunal's 2 September 2026 ruling for Dilip Gangaram Mali shows that taxpayers remain accountable for income tax return accuracy, even when using a consultant.

DragonFi first Philippine broker for global equities via SEC sandbox: The brokerage, a DoubleDragon Corp. unit, will allow investors to access foreign stocks and ETFs through an over-the-counter depositary receipt model under regulatory supervision.