The Brief: Asia's economy, 2 October 2026
What moved across Asia overnight: 13 stories on economies, markets, banking and industry, read in five minutes.
Economies
JTI Philippines backs unified e-cigarette tax to curb smuggling: The proposed P72.9 excise rate from 2027 aims to close loopholes exploited by illicit traders and increase government collections.
Singapore to issue S$190 utility rebates to one million households: The measure in October 2026 will help over one million public housing residents offset living costs, alongside falling electricity and gas tariffs for the quarter.
Malaysia establishes sustainability body, backed by Securities Commission: The Association of Sustainability Professionals will launch by end 2026, aiming to standardise practices and support businesses in meeting reporting requirements.
Markets
Indian Stocks Face "Negligible Returns" Cycle, Says Shankar Sharma: Investor Shankar Sharma attributes the Indian Nifty's 18% fall from its January 2026 peak to a post-boom "lake of returns", urging a shift to fixed income.
ASX faces proxy advisor push to reject executive pay: Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) urges Australian Securities Exchange investors to vote against its pay report, citing a 23.6% share price drop last year and A$51.5 million in losses, ahead of the October 22 annual meeting.
Banking & Fintech
India UPI Transactions Dip 1.8% in September Amid MDR Rollout: The National Payments Corporation of India reported 24.07 billion transactions last month, a slight fall from August, as a new fee structure for merchants takes effect on October 15.
China Bank Savings supports 1,200 Philippine educators, offers P50,000 accounts: The Philippine thrift bank provided financial wellness training last month and will award vehicles, including two Mitsubishi Mirages, on October 5.
Industries
Accenture Shares Jump 20% on Strong Q4, $1 Billion AI Safety Investment: The global consultancy reported strong fourth-quarter results and an optimistic financial year 2027 outlook, alongside a significant commitment to artificial intelligence safety testing.
Century Properties Group finalises PHirst Park Homes merger: The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission approved the consolidation, integrating PHirst Park Homes, which contributed 73% of H1 2026 revenue, directly into the parent company.
Nvidia AI Security Platform: Higher Costs, Deeper Vendor Ties: Nvidia's new AI agent security platform centralises control via dedicated hardware, prompting businesses to weigh stronger protection against increased infrastructure costs and deeper dependence.
Lotte expands financial, export support for Korean SMEs: The South Korean conglomerate disbursed 949.5 billion won ($698 million) in early payments to 12,000 suppliers and maintains a 1 trillion won fund for working capital.
Philippines promotes Kinampay ube to Japanese consumers: The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo is spearheading efforts to introduce the premium purple yam, Kinampay ube, as a new agricultural export, building on successful fruit exports.
Audi Singapore launches RS 5 plug-in hybrid models from S$713,999: Audi Singapore debuted its first high-performance plug-in hybrid RS 5 sedan and Avant models yesterday, starting at S$713,999 with COE, during the Singapore Grand Prix period.
Each item above was reported and checked separately; this brief collects the overnight session in one place. Follow any headline through for the figures and the source they came from. The Week Ahead maps the week's data and central-bank dates every Sunday.
This article is journalism, not investment advice; consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Market data is indicative, may be delayed, and should be verified with your broker or exchange before use.
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