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      Banking CEOs displayed measured optimism, anticipating business and earnings growth while recalibrating M&A toward strategic, value‑adding transactions. Meanwhile AI has moved from pilot to scale — becoming central to operating models, customer experience, fraud detection and cyber defence — with leaders increasingly confident in near‑term ROI. At the same time, CEOs recognised the imperative to build trust in AI, addressing ethical challenges, data readiness, and governance to ensure fair, transparent outcomes.

      Banks prioritised reskilling and redeployment, rethinking roles and entry‑level skills to enable human–machine collaboration that boosts productivity without eroding the human touch. Sustainability and compliance are being embedded across risk, credit and finance functions — advancing energy efficiency, climate risk modeling, and more robust ESG reporting.

      Explore the report to uncover deeper insights — how banking leaders are scaling AI responsibly, strengthening cyber resilience, reshaping talent, and fine‑tuning deal strategies to advance the banking sector.


      Download

      KPMG Banking and Capital Markets CEO Outlook

      Discover why banking CEOs are optimistic about growth and transformation, and how they’re leveraging AI, digitalisation, and ESG strategies to build resilience and trust.


      The 11th edition of the KPMG CEO Outlook, based on insights from 1,350 CEOs, offers a unique perspective on their mindset, strategies, and planning approaches. This report focuses exclusively on the 110 Banking and Capital Markets CEOs surveyed, representing commercial banking, capital markets and investment banking, retail banking, and organisations operating across multiple segments, including retail, commercial, and investment banking.


      Key findings




      Hear from our leaders

      Banks across Hong Kong are focusing on growth and new opportunities. Digital assets are a key frontier, with Hong Kong leading the way in real-world assets tokenisation. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is now about driving measurable productivity across banking operations, not just innovation. Finally, asset managers are expanding in Hong Kong, creating advanced products and partnering with private banks to better serve their clients in Asia.

      Jia Ning Song

      Head of Banking and Capital Markets, Hong Kong SAR

      KPMG China


      Hear from our leaders

      Hong Kong’s resurgence as a thriving equity market has set a strong foundation for optimism in the banking sector. The government’s commitment to developing a robust fixed income market and supporting Chinese enterprises as they expand globally through Hong Kong is also particularly promising. These policies are unlocking new opportunities for financial and professional services firms, and I believe we’ll see banks respond with increased hiring and investment in the year ahead.

      Paul McSheaffrey

      Senior Banking Partner, Hong Kong SAR

      KPMG China



      Why download the report?

      By downloading the Banking CEO Outlook report, you will:

      • Discover why 83% of banking CEOs are confident in their company’s growth prospects, despite ongoing economic change.
      • Learn how 65% of CEOs are making AI a top investment priority, with 69% expecting returns on AI within just 1–3 years.
      • Find out why 86% of CEOs identify cyber risk as the top factor impacting organisational growth, and how banks are responding with advanced cyber resilience strategies.
      • See how 83% of CEOs are prioritising workforce reskilling to unlock AI’s potential, while 79% say AI is redefining entry-level skills in banking.

      Explore the full report to gain a deeper understanding of the trends, perspectives, and emerging themes shaping the future of banking.


      Latest insights

      The imperative of balance sheet optimisation

      How leading banks are driving successful operational and cost transformation

      A blueprint for creating value through AI-driven transformation

      CEOs doubling down on AI and talent investment as the keys to resilience and growth

      Contact us

      Jianing Song
      Jianing Song

      Head of Banking and Capital Markets, Hong Kong SAR

      KPMG China

      Paul McSheaffrey
      Paul McSheaffrey

      Senior Banking Partner, Hong Kong SAR

      KPMG China


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