In a move that had analysts divided as to whether it was primarily symbolic or substantive, Taiwan’s Central Bank of China (CBC) lowered its benchmark discount rate to 1.75% from 1.875%, the first rate change in sixteen quarters. The move surprised many economists, with Bloomberg finding that 13 out of 24 economists surveyed had forecast…
The sector netted record profits in 2014 on the back of burgeoning offshore business, especially in China. The crowded Taiwan banking sector is finding room to breathe at last. Rapid expansion of offshore business amid deregulation and improving asset quality helped banks post a record NT$332.8 billion (US$10.7 billion) in profits in 2014, according to…
INDUSTRY FOCUS: Financial Sector Smoother Sailing for Taiwan’s Banks offshore The Formosa Bond Market Ignites Promoting the Onshore Mutual Fund Business Taiwan’s Payment Plan Taiwan’s offshore RMB bond market is growing rapidly after investment was opened to domestic insurers. Taiwan’s Formosa bond market is surging on the back of deregulation measures that have made…
Regulators are tightening the screws on offshore fund managers in an effort to strengthen the asset-management sector at home. Taiwan punches above its weight in the asset-management sector. The island of 23 million people had over US$167 billion assets under management (AUM) at the end of 2014, according to the Taipei-based consultancy Keystone Intelligence. Offshore…
The introduction of mobile and third-party payment platforms is expected to bolster the nation’s burgeoning e-commerce market. Taiwan’s payments industry is getting a needed shakeup with the adoption of contactless technology to facilitate mobile transactions and the passage new legislation to legalize third-party electronic payment services. Those changes will not fundamentally alter the island’s payments…
