Bank capital has long been a hot topic in Asia, but the asset class has so far failed to ignite the kind of excitement that the Basel reforms once promised – at least outside of Australia. That is all about to change. When the global financial crisis hit in 2008, Asia’s banks were able to sit back and watch the mayhem unfold from afar. The vast majority of the region’s financial institutions boasted far healthier balance sheets than their US and European peers, with stable deposits and higher capital ratios. Systemic links were weak, too, since...Read more