Latest news with #Acceler8
The Sun
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Alliance Bank posts record net profit of RM751m
Kam says the bank's loan growth outpaced the industry average. KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd has posted a record net profit of RM751 million for the financial year ended March 31 2025 (FY25), supported by double-digit loan growth and the ongoing execution of its Acceler8 transformation plan. At its 43rd annual general meeting and subsequent extraordinary general meeting yesterday, shareholders approved all resolutions, including a long-term incentive plan (LTIP) comprising a share issuance scheme and share grant scheme to retain and motivate key staff. CEO Kellee Kam Chee Khiong said the bank's loan growth outpaced the industry average, rising over 12% in FY25. 'We have erased five years of market share losses and are now midway through our Acceler8 journey, with leading indicators progressing positively,' he told reporters at a press conference. The Acceler8 2027 strategy is built on eight pillars, focusing on areas including digital innovation and sustainability. Alliance Bank recently won awards for its virtual credit card and SME digital offerings and reaffirmed its commitment to environmental, social and governance principles. Commenting on the overnight policy rate cut, Kam said net interest margins could narrow by about three basis points from the current 2.45%, though guidance remains between 2.4% and 2.45%. For FY26, the bank projects loan growth of 8% to 10%, slightly below the 12%–14% achieved in previous years, reflecting rising business costs and global uncertainties. Credit cost guidance remains at 30-35 basis points versus 31.9 basis points last year. Alliance Bank expects to complete its relocation to Menara Alliance by August, which will eliminate annual rental expenses of about RM13 million and help offset higher costs from the 8% service tax hike. Executives noted that while GDP growth has been revised to 4–4.5%, domestic demand remains resilient and unemployment is at multi-year lows, supporting asset quality and growth prospects. The bank also expects the 13th Malaysia Plan to spur high-value sectors such as energy transition and technology, potentially boosting credit demand.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alliance Bank uses SAS to elevate asset and liability management
Malaysian financial services group tackles regulatory compliance, enhances data quality and transforms risk management CARY, N.C., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad ("Alliance Bank") has turned to data and AI leader SAS as part of a transformational strategy to drive sustainable growth. With SAS® Asset and Liability Management, the bank has bolstered monitoring and oversight of its interest rate and liquidity risk management with advanced stress testing, scenario analysis and predictive analytics capabilities, enabling it to make faster, more accurate business decisions. These advances come at a critical time: Among the eight bank failures that have rattled the industry since 2023, liquidity risk was a driving factor in seven. The new system's robust daily reporting capabilities, coupled with advanced tracking of depositor concentrations and liquidity analytics, have improved simulations and analyses. This allows Alliance Bank to manage liquidity based on immediate funding needs and fully automate 90% of processes to improve productivity and accuracy. The bank's proactive move to adopt a comprehensive asset and liability management (ALM) solution aligns with its commitment to comply with risk and liquidity guidelines from Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian central bank. "From a cost-efficiency standpoint, this streamlined data sharing, reduced manual interventions and heightened operational efficiency is forecast to help us realize an annual savings," said Jacob Abraham, Group Chief Risk Officer of Alliance Bank. Enhancing security, gaining customersIn 2023, facing market volatility and increasing regulatory requirements, Alliance Bank embarked on a four-year plan – dubbed Acceler8 – to upgrade its systems, create a unified data hub, and integrate its risk and finance functions. SAS Asset and Liability Management allows the bank to streamline operations and automate most processes. In turn, Alliance Bank staff can minimize time spent on time-consuming, error-prone tasks, instead focusing on more strategic, value-adding activities. The cloud-native ALM solution has helped Alliance Bank realize several benefits and efficiencies. In addition to the aforementioned improvements in system performance, the bank: Saw a tenfold improvement in system scalability, availability and uptime, and transactions per second. Saved more than 10% on operational costs, manpower costs and time spent on production processes. Reduced the average time needed for risk assessment and compliance to less than one day. Realized annual savings of more than US$220,000. "Despite compliance being the primary driver for this transition, this transformative leap in ALM management has armed us with superior visibility into interest rates and liquidity," said Kunalan Pecheadavar, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Market Risk at Alliance Bank. "The project further contributed towards our company's Acceler8 strategy to drive efficiencies, growth and stakeholder value as we focus on providing fast, convenient and personalized solutions to our customers." "Due to complex challenges in the industry, ALM processes must come with a high degree of granularity and transparency," said Wilson Yap, Director and Head of Risk Banking Solutions in Asia at SAS. "The SAS approach provides a comprehensive package of analytical, computational and governance capabilities, delivering a broader balance sheet management process that integrates the whole spectrum of risk dimensions. SAS' expertise in integrated risk solutions is demonstrated in how we are able to support banks to achieve business efficiencies, streamline operations and better comply with local regulations." In recognition of the project's achievements, Alliance Bank was awarded the best analytics initiative in the 2024 WatersTechnology Asia Awards, as well as the IDC Future Enterprise Award 2024. Ahead of the risk transformation curveRecent industry research indicates that Alliance Bank isn't alone in prioritizing risk management innovation. Among 300 banking risk executives surveyed by FT Longitude and SAS in late 2024, 75% said they will increase investment in risk technology infrastructure over the next year (up from 51% in 2021). Nearly two-thirds (64%) indicated they will augment spending on third-party risk solutions to automate aspects of their risk management processes (versus 43% in 2021). What did the survey uncover about the use of AI and GenAI in risk management and banks' abilities to detect and mitigate pervasive interest rate and liquidity risks? Download the survey report Transforming Risk Management to explore the findings and chief risk officer perspectives at About SASSAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2025 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Contact:Trey Danielle View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE SAS
The Star
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Alliance Bank posts record year with net profit RM197.49mil, 2nd interim div of 9.9c/share
Alliance Bank group CEO Kellee Kam KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd has posted a record financial year, which affirms the success of its Acceler8 strategy and reinforces the longer-term growth trajectory, said group CEO Kellee Kam. "We remain focused on sustainable growth and creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,' said Kam in a statement announcing the bank's latest quarterly result. In its latest quarterly result (4QFY25), Alliance Bank recorded a net profit of RM197.49mil, up from RM177.74mil in the year-ago quarter, for an improved earnings per share of 12.76 sen against 11.48 sen previously. The bank reported revenue of RM563.24mil during the quarter, compared to RM516.17mil in 4QFY24. This brought the banks' full-year net profit to a record high of RM750.73mil, against RM690.48mil in FY24, and revenue also to a historical high of RM2.27bil from RM2.02bil in the previous year. For its performance, Alliance Bank proposed a second interim dividend of 9.9 sen per share, payable on June 26, 2025, which brings its total payout in FY25 to 19.4 sen. According to the statement, the bank's revenue growth was supported by improvements in both net interest income (NII) and non-interest income (NOII). NII rose 13.2% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM1.95bil driven primarily by higher loan volumes. Net interest margin stood at 2.45%. NOII increased by 7.7% y-o-y to RM323.4mil, mainly due to higher foreign exchange sales and trade fees, wealth management income (excluding the one-time bancassurance business model fee recognised in FY24), and treasury and investment income. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 48% as the bank continued its investments in technology and people. Alliance Bank said its total gross loans expanded 12% y-o-y to RM62.4bil with growth recorded across all segments. The current account savings account (Casa) ratio, meanwhile, stood at 41%, supporte by a 14.7% y-o-y increase in customer deposits.
The Sun
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Alliance Bank to continuously explore strategic partnerships to expand digital payment eco-system
KUALA LUMPUR: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd will continuously explore strategic partnerships to expand the digital payment eco-system as part of its Acceler8 strategy. Group chief consumer banking officer Gan Pan Li said the bank has collaborated with fintech players, digital wallet providers and technology firms that align with its vision of delivering secure and seamless payment solutions. 'Our goal remains on increasing accessibility, strengthening security and introducing innovative features that enhance customer experience,' she told SunBiz. Gan pointed out that in June 2024, Alliance Bank teamed up with MyTaman, a leading smart community app, to offer virtual credit cards (VCC) to more than 150,000 MyTaman users, enabling seamless payments for maintenance fees, rentals and subscriptions. The following month, the bank collaborated with MetaFin, Malaysia's first do-it-yourself digital platform for insurance and personal financial services, to introduce a Visa virtual credit card, providing users with a secure and convenient digital payment experience within the MetaFin Digital App. 'These initiatives demonstrate our ongoing efforts to enhance our digital offerings and drive innovation in payment solutions, always looking for a space where the VCC can help address lifestyle requirements for consumers,' said Gan. In January this year, Alliance Bank partnered with Samsung and Google to provide Alliance Bank Visa credit card holders with greater convenience in mobile payments. This partnership allows Alliance Bank cardholders to add their Alliance Bank Visa credit cards to their Samsung Pay or Google Pay wallets. Google Pay can be used by Alliance Bank cardholders whether they are shopping online, browsing in-store, or using public transport by simply tapping and paying through their device. Gan said Alliance Bank set a target of onboarding over 10,000 users on Samsung Pay and Google Pay by March, but it is too early to provide comprehensive adoption statistics. This aligns with the growing shift towards contactless payments in Malaysia, where more than nine in 10 Visa face-to-face transactions are now made using contactless methods, she added. 'We anticipate strong adoption among our digitally savvy customers, driven by the convenience and security these platforms offer. Additionally, we have observed an increasing reliance on contactless payments, particularly in retail, public transport and e-commerce transactions. 'Engagement-driven campaigns, such as limited-time offers and rewards, have further encouraged usage, reinforcing the trend toward seamless and secure digital payments,' Gan said. While the current focus is on integrating with Samsung Pay and Google Pay, Alliance Bank recognises the importance of offering diverse payment options to meet varying customer preferences. 'We are exploring future integration with Apple Pay to ensure our customers can seamlessly transact across all major mobile platforms. Very soon, we will be integrating our VCC with an EV charging app, which enables customers to make quick and hassle-free payments for EV charging,' said Gan. She added that Alliance Bank is always looking for ways to enhance its VCC for different segments of the market, such as e-vehicle charging apps and pickleball court bookings 'Customer trust and security remain a core priority in our digital strategy, and we will continue to develop new capabilities for the VCC that we will take to market. New features will be announced as part of our go-to-market initiatives,' she said. Asked how Alliance Bank sees this impacting the bank's future customer acquisition and engagement strategies, Gan said by collaborating with brands and platforms that align with these audiences, the bank aims to enhance engagement and drive adoption of its digital banking solutions. 'One such initiative is an upcoming pickleball championship in collaboration with Pickle Social Club and Courtsite, which will serve as a unique avenue to connect with our target customers and solidify our digital-first approach,' Gan said. Elaborating on how Alliance Bank is positioning itself against competitors in Malaysia's rapidly evolving digital banking space, Gan said the bank differentiates itself in Malaysia's rapidly evolving digital banking landscape through a balanced approach to innovation and customer-centric banking. 'In line with the bank's Accele8 strategy, we focus on delivering faster, better, and more personalised solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our customers. 'We continue to enhance the features of our digital products for ease of use while prioritising security features, and we continuously improve our self-service touchpoints to provide a seamless and accessible banking experience as part of our low-touch service offerings. 'Aside from just digital-based transactions, we also offer services at branches to cater to communities for those who prefer high-touch service offerings, and, by combining innovative digital solutions with meaningful customer engagement, we position ourselves as 'The Bank For Life', a trusted financial partner that grows with our customers and supports them at every stage of their financial journey,' she explained. On Alliance Bank's targets for digital payment transactions and VCC adoption in 2025, Gan said the bank has historically seen a good pickup in digital transactions where a majority of its transactions are via digital channels. 'We believe this sort of trajectory will continue to build up with increasing adoption as the VCC and digital payments become a norm for consumers. 'We feel that the pace of digital transactions will closely align with regulatory initiatives in terms of digital adoption. 'The VCC complements the efforts of regulators in bringing about awareness of scam and fraud prevention through enhanced security measures such as dynamic card numbers, tokenisation and real-time transaction monitoring. 'These features help mitigate risks associated with unauthorised transactions, phishing attempts, and identity theft, concerns that have been on the rise with the growing reliance on digital payments. 'At the same time, we continue to expand the VCC's usability across various sectors, including e-commerce, travel, mobility, and everyday lifestyle transactions, ensuring seamless and secure payment experiences. 'Looking ahead, we remain committed to strengthening our digital ecosystem by aligning with regulatory frameworks and introducing innovative payment solutions that cater to evolving consumer needs,' Gan said.
BBC News
13-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cornwall charity Active8 wins grant from national funding award
A charity has been awarded funding from an impactful award from Global's Make Some Noise. Active8 supports young people aged 14 to 30 living with disabilities in Cornwall and Devon. The charity said its work with young people helped them to develop skills, hobbies and a sense of community. The £54,000 funding from the award would help fund the next two years of the charity's Acceler8 work for 14 to18-year-olds, which it said was nothing short of a lifeline for teenagers living with a disability in south-west England. 'Hope, inclusion and ambition' Active8 was one of 46 UK charities which received a share of over £2.9m from Global's Make Some charity said its programmes open up opportunities for independent living, travel, volunteering, and Stanley, Active8's fundraising coordinator, said: "This grant will not only fund our transformative initiatives, but it will also fuel hope, inclusion and ambition - sending a powerful message to our most vulnerable young people: 'You are seen. You are valued. You are capable of extraordinary things.'"Suzanne Ryder-Richardson, director of Global Goodness at Global, said: "We are incredibly grateful that, thanks to public donations and the generous support of our partners, we can provide this funding to the small, local charities delivering these vital services at the heart of communities across the UK."
