Asian autos: bleak times ahead

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Balance is key to averting Asian credit card turmoil

Recent events in South Korea have overshadowed more general concerns about the direction of Asian credit card markets. While turmoil in South Korea has been the most high profile, Datamonitor's Alex Boorman argues that the contributory factors are not too dissimilar from those that are noticeable elsewhere in the region...

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Bank of Ayudhya steps up targeting of Thai affluent individuals

Bank of Ayudhya has announced the rebranding of its private banking business as Krungsri Exclusive. Furthermore, it announced a target of THB300bn ($9.5bn) in assets under management (AUM) for the end of 2012. This highlights the growing importance of wealth management to local Asian banks and the trend toward greater competition provided by local players in the Asia Pacific wealth market.

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Boehringer Ingelheim: free antivirals for developing countries

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Colgate-Palmolive: a clean break from southeast Asian detergents

The detergent market worldwide has seen greater consolidation in recent years, with many leading brands concentrated in the hands of a diminishing number of companies. By selling its detergent brands, Colgate is set to make a timely exit from a market in which high raw material costs and continual price competition are driving the need for large-scale production and greater efficiencies.

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Confectionery: Thai teeth take to chewing gum

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GlaxoSmithKline: cutting the cost of HIV drugs

GlaxoSmithKline's fifth round of price cuts since 1997 includes 14 HIV drugs reduced by an average of 21%. The biggest reduction is a 40% cut in the price of Ziagen, a first and second line AIDS treatment. With the use of compulsory licenses becoming more frequent among developing countries, GSK will hope that such price cuts appease governments and prevent their patents being bypassed.

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HSBC's Thai sale will not interfere with the rebalancing of its assets under management

HSBC announced on January 25 that it is selling its retail banking and wealth management arm in Thailand to the Bank of Ayudhya, in a deal valued at THB3.56bn ($112m). The disposal by HSBC is evidence of a further refocus on higher growth markets within the targeted region of Asia Pacific.

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Kasikornbank: seeking HNWs through premium services

Thailand's fourth largest lender, Kasikornbank, has officially launched Signature Private Banking services in an attempt to attract wealthy individuals living in the country. The private banking venture should be a success, providing the bank leverages from its existing customer base and large branch network throughout Thailand.

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Natural disasters: can the automotive industry weatherproof production?

While natural disasters are considered to be mostly unpredictable, a number of car manufacturers are finding that their location of choice has put them in the direct path of some of the most severe disasters in recorded memory. Recent movements within the automotive industry suggest that while loyalty to a native location is important, manufacturers are unwilling to tempt fate twice.

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