MUFG APAC Insights Podcast

Fresh from his trip to COP27 in Egypt, Tomo Ishikawa, global head of government and regulatory affairs, shares his initial observations of the summit. He is joined by Amanpreet Singh, Director of ESG Finance for Asia Pacific in a reflection of MUFG’s latest efforts in driving transition finance and the importance of client engagement in enabling a just and orderly transition in Asia.

Has the global energy crisis dealt a damaging blow to global sustainability, and the net zero targets established for 2030 and beyond? Hailey Orr, Capital Markets Strategist from MUFG’s New York office, shares highlights from her latest report on the impact of the global energy crisis on ESG efforts.

Tom Joyce, Capital Markets Strategist from MUFG's New York office, shares highlights from his latest research report on the extent of the global recession in the coming quarter, and whether the US Fed will be able to continue its historically rapid pace of tightening in 2022.

Amid ongoing global growth concerns and tighter financial conditions, currencies in Asia are expected to run into choppy waters in the year ahead, with a divergence in performance, driven by country-specific factors and local economic trends. In this episode, our global markets research team for Asia, led by Dr. Lin Li and currency analysts Jeff Ng and Sophia Ng, provide their outlook for currencies in the region for the second half of 2022.

South-east Asia is home to 15% of the world's tropical forests, but its fast-growing agricultural business sector, rightly or wrongly, has long been identified as one of the contributors to deforestation. But what if by providing agribusinesses greater access to digital financial services, we can not only empower them to generate greater returns, but also help protect the environment?     In this episode, MUFG's Elisa Minischetti, vice president of Digital Transformation Division in Singapore, and Amanpreet Singh, Director in ESG Finance office for APAC, share how the bank is promoting financial inclusion through fintech as part of MUFG’s sustainability mission in Asia Pacific. Lionel Wong, Head of the Green Fintech Office of the Monetary Authority of Singapore also shares the regulator is also playing its part to address the deforestation issue, support the agribusiness sector and promote the growth of green finance in Singapore and across the region.

Most narratives in the energy transition space agree that an orderly, systemic approach to achieve net zero carbon goals would be preferred. But while this seems possible in theory, it becomes much harder when put into practice. In this episode, Shiv Sivarajah, Head of Energy & Resources for Asia Pacific, Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, and Michele Peduzzi, Head of Energy Coverage for EMEA discuss what an orderly transition really is, whether it really matters and how best to achieve our sustainability goals for the planet.

In the latest episode of the MUFG APAC Insights Podcast, Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, and Matt Fennessy, Head of Global Market Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking, Asia, share their overall commodities thesis and why a bullish stance is recommended. They also discuss the prices of energy, metals and agriculture in the context of Russia-Ukraine war as well as the outlook for commodity prices moving forward.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to add pressure on the existing supply shortages of commodities and extend global supply disruptions.  With the war expected to continue to cast inflationary pressures and tighten global financial conditions, the global markets research team for Asia, led by Lin Li and currency analysts Jeff Ng and Sophia Ng, provide their outlook for currencies in Asia for the second quarter of 2022.

China's latest "Two Sessions" meetings kicked off with updates on the state of the economy and its goals, tasks and policy priorities for the economic and social developments for 2022.  In this episode, Dr. Lin Li, head of global markets research for Asia, shares her key takeaways from the latest government report by the National People's Congress.

Biases take various forms and can impede our own personal and professional growth as well as of those around us. In line with this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, #breakthebias, we delve into common biases, expounding on areas that apply to both women and men because, at MUFG, we promote a fair and equal workplace. Colleagues from China, Indonesia and Vietnam share their unique experiences and recommendations on how to break the bias.

Commodity prices are expected to remain high for the rest of the year, starting with oil prices. Against a backdrop of surging demand, shrinking supply, and a volatile geopolitical climate, what does this mean for global companies & markets, sand how long is this trend expected to last?  In this episode, Shiv Sivarajah, Head of Energy & Resources for Asia Pacific, and Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, share their outlook on the current surge in the prices of oil and other commodities, and the state of the energy transition in APAC economies.

Human capital is crucial to any given business. In this podcast, Peggy Mo, Managing Director, Head of HR, MUFG China, will provide insights on the importance of talent development and fostering a more diverse and inclusive culture as part of MUFG China’s human capital strategy in driving business growth. She will also share how MUFG is embracing cultural change through the New Experience Transformation project (Project NEXT) and internal “green” efforts in line with its carbon neutrality pledge. Lastly, Peggy will talk about her experiences working with one of China’s leading foreign banks, including thoughts on how China’s human capital can thrive in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

In this special episode of the MUFG APAC Insights Podcast, we share a webinar recording whereby Tom Joyce, MD of Capital Markets in New York, and Matt Fennessy, head of Global Market Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking, Asia, assessed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, its impact on markets, and what this all means for Asia Pacific economies. How will oil prices react? Will intensifying western sanctions result in a supply shock for the global economy? And how will China, which has recently reaffirmed its relationship with Russia, react to this crisis?

Dr. Lin Li, Head of Global Markets Research for Asia, and currency analysts Jeff Ng and Sophia Ng, share their outlook on Asian currencies for 2022, and key themes for the economic developments and financial markets for the region in the year ahead.

The 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference – or COP26 – will see leaders from governments, businesses, and advocates gather to agree on the strategies and actions to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this episode, Shiv Sivarajah, head of energy and resources for Asia Pacific, Ehsan Khoman, head of emerging markets research for EMEA, and Michele Peduzzi, director of energy for corporate banking in EMEA, share what they would like to see discussed and resolved at this year’s meetings, and how the outcomes from COP26 might impact developed and emerging markets in the global energy transition.

In this episode, Dr. Lin Li, Head of Global Markets Research for Asia, and FX Analyst Sophia Ng discuss the performance of Asian markets to date and the economic outlook for the rest of the year.  With our moderator Matt Fennessy, Head of Global Markets Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking in Asia, they cover the key economic and market themes for the region, and their impact on rates, foreign exchange, capital flows and multinational corporations.

With the recent aggressive amounts of monetary and fiscal stimulus, global economies are now looking at how to reverse this to deal with disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Derek Halpenny, Head of Research for EMEA and International Securities, and Matthew Fennessy, Head of Global Market Sales for Global Subsidiary Banking, Asia, discuss the US Fed's likely launch of QE tapering by year-end, the impact of the Delta variant, and how economies in Asia will respond.

MUFG has a long-standing presence in China dating back 60 years. As one of the first foreign banks to enter the market, we have to this day a strong footprint of 14 branches and well over 2,000 staff.   So how do we drive further growth in this vast economy? We talked to Tony Lee, head of Global Corporate Banking for East Asia, about our strategic plans for China, and how we can partner our clients to better capture opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy.

The journey to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 raises questions for individual companies at a micro level, and in particular the oil and gas sector. In this follow-up episode on the next normal for the energy transition, Shiv Sivarajah, Head of Energy & Resources for APAC, Ian Catterall, Head of Natural Resources for EMEA, and Ehsan Khoman, Head of Emerging Markets Research for EMEA, discuss how corporates in the energy sector address the risks and opportunities that climate change pose for their businesses, and how are they navigating the complex and evolving investment, technology, and policy trends.