Hong Leong Bank anticipates a moderate growth of around 4.5 - 5% for the Malaysian economy this year, benefiting from strong economic fundamentals and an uptick in foreign investments.
Sharing its 2025 economic house view to clients, analysts, and members of the media at HLB’s premier Wealth Symposium 2025, the Bank sees Malaysia’s economy benefiting from strong economic fundamentals and an uptick in foreign investment, emphasizing on key growth themes such as a revival in tourism, clean energy initiatives under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), and infrastructure development momentum in Johor. The country’s position as a neutral player in global trade tensions will also enhance its appeal to investors seeking stability and diversification.
HLB’s Wealth Symposium is an annual event where analysts and industry experts share its economic house view for the year, and provide clients with updates on global markets and investment strategies for the year ahead. This year’s symposium offered interesting insights on key economies, while emphasising the importance of diversification and agility in managing wealth amidst global economic shifts.
Jeffrey Yap, HLB’s Head of Regional Wealth Management, reaffirmed the Bank’s role as a trusted partner for wealth management, emphasizing its commitment to supporting clients’ financial goals in a dynamic global environment.
“The wealth management landscape is evolving rapidly, with AI-powered solutions, mobile accessibility, and the democratization of information drastically changing how many people invest. This rapid transformation is also happening against the backdrop of a significant shift in global wealth creation, with the Asia Pacific region now leading the way. At HLB, we are embracing these changes to enhance your experience, but we also recognize that true wealth management goes beyond technology - it’s about understanding your values, your aspirations, and your legacy. Looking at the new year ahead of us, we see ourselves as your partner, empowering you to achieve your investment goals while staying true to our heritage of personalized guidance and long-term wealth preservation, ensuring that we are truly Built Around You.”
The symposium continued with discussions regarding global equities. According to HLB, the market will enter 2025 with a mixed outlook led by the US market, driven by strong corporate earnings, resilient consumer spending, and advancements in technology. However, concerns over potential market corrections and the need for balanced investment strategies were highlighted due to lofty expectations on earnings growth and feverish enthusiasm among retail investors.
The Bank also highlighted AI as a potential “next frontier”, with the sector’s focus on energy, power management, and quantum computing presenting significant opportunities. Given that past innovation cycles like the PC and smartphone era have seen intra-year fluctuations, investors were advised to be comfortable embracing volatility and be rewarded over the long term.
Outside the US, the Bank remains cautious on Europe, seeing tariffs as a key risk for Asian equities. Unlike in 2018, Asian central banks might have room to ease borrowing costs to grapple with the impact of tariffs. However, China’s inconsistent equity market performance presents a challenge to long term investors as it grapples with structural challenges such as weak credit growth, subdued consumer confidence and a struggling real estate sector, which would need aggressive policy interventions to resolve.
And lastly, in the fixed income space, bond yields are still attractive, with US investment-grade bonds offering around 5% on average, while emerging markets provide even higher yields. Private equity continues to be a strong long-term growth option, making it a great choice for retirement planning or building wealth.
This annual premier Wealth Symposium is a key extension to HLB’s overall goal of enhancing its wealth management capabilities, as part of its bankwide transformation plan. This year’s symposium saw the Bank discuss key outlooks and strategies alongside experts from Amundi Asset Management, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, PIMCO, BlackRock, Principal Asset Management and Gaia Investment Partners.
HLB has also produced a podcast that provides further insights and discussions into key wealth management topics.
Watch the latest episode of Market Matters with HLB here.
To know more about HLB’s wealth management offerings, please visit here.
