Global Trustee and Fiduciary Services Bite-Sized Issue 9 2026

9 AI CRYPTOASSETS EMIR FINTECH FUND LIQUIDITY OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE RETAIL INVESTMENT STRATEGY T+1 ASIA PACIFIC AUSTRALIA EUROPE NORTH AMERICA UNITED KINGDOM Global Trustee and Fiduciary Services Bite-Sized | Issue 9 | 2026 Quick Links ASIA PACIFIC SFC: Stronger Mainland Connectivity Reinforces Hong Kong’s Leading Role as China Assets Gateway: SFC Quarterly Report On 26 August 2026, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) published its latest Quarterly Report, stating in its press release that Hong Kong’s capital markets, according to the Quarterly Report, delivered another quarter of strong growth despite global market volatility, powered by offshore product breakthrough, sustained Stock Connect inflows and vibrant IPO activity. For the quarter ending June 2026, the SFC says that Hong Kongmade further progress onmultiple fronts as aMainlandmarket gateway. The SFC approved the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited’s launch of Five-Year China Government Bond Futures, which commenced trading in early August. As the only offshore China Government Bond Futures available, the SFC says that this product has drawnmarket interest fromvarious types of investors, further strengthening Hong Kong’s role as a riskmanagement hub for RMB assets and supporting the internationalisation of RMB. The SFC says that Swap Connect trading also remained active, as average daily turnover jumped 50% year-on-year (YoY) and aggregate RMB interest rate swap transactions surpassed RMB13.3 trillion. Additionally, Southbound Stock Connect recorded a 34th consecutive month of net inflows – the longest streak on record. The SFC also says that new listing activity continued to thrive in the past quarter, as funds raised rose 12% YoY to about HKD100 billion. Nine A-share listed companies raised over HKD50 billion through H-share IPOs. In particular, the SFC adds that funds raised by specialist technology and biotech companies surged 420% YoY. To further reinforceHongKong’s role as a super-connector, theSFCstates that it and theChinaSecurities RegulatoryCommissionannouncedapackage ofmeasures inAugust todeepenmarket cooperation. On the asset management front, it says that SFC-authorised exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and leveraged and inverse (L&I) products recorded strong growth, with total market capitalisation up 43% YoY to HKD756.3 billion as of end-June. In July, the SFC says that it enhanced the regulatory framework for L&I products to allow product providers more flexibility while raising investors’ awareness of their nature as daily trading instruments. Link to SFC Quarterly Report here MAS Introduces Measures to Strengthen Singapore’s Competitiveness as a Leading Asset Management Hub On 19 August 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced a set of measures to strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness as a leading asset management hub. MAS says that Singapore’s asset management industry is a key growth engine for its financial sector, accounting for around 15% of the sector’s output and 13% of its employment. MAS adds that, over the past five years, the industry also grew positively by 7.5% per year on average to almost SGD7 trillion. MAS states that the set of measures builds on the industry’s positive growth momentum, and will help anchor high value asset management activities, deepen industry capabilities and attract top asset management talent, amidst growing international competition. The measures comprise: • A tax exemption for profit-related returns from the provision of fund management services to qualifying funds; • A newhedge fund investment programme to anchor leading hedge fundmanagers in Singapore; and • A new Investment Management Track under the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass framework to attract top global leaders and senior investment professionals in asset management. As a package, MAS says that the three measures aim to incentivise key asset managers to anchor their business activities, capital allocation and talent deployment in Singapore. Link to MAS Homepage here