The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relevant to wealth advisors and their clients.

Deutsche Bank, DWS
Deutsche Bank and DWS are aiming to expand their collaboration in discretionary portfolio management. It is envisaged that Deutsche Bank’s portfolio implementation will be supported by DWS’ institutional investment and execution platform. Under the enhanced model, Deutsche Bank Private Bank will be responsible for asset allocation, portfolio design, and investment strategy led by its global chief investment office.

The initiative aims to strengthen investment implementation for high net worth private clients by bringing together the respective core strengths of Deutsche Bank Private Bank and DWS.

For private bank clients, the characteristics of DPM will remain unchanged, the firm said in a statement. Client assets will still be held in individual accounts with Deutsche Bank Private Bank. Client ownership, product responsibility and brand leadership will remain with Deutsche Bank.

The initiative, which builds on the cooperation between Deutsche Bank and DWS across the investment value chain, reinforces their shared ambition to develop DPM as a core managed solution for private wealth clients.

EFG International, Singapore Golf Association
EFG International has renewed its partnership with the Singapore Golf Association for another three years, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing Singapore’s next generation of golfers.

Under the renewed agreement, EFG will support the EFG–SGA Elite Young Golfers Scholarship alongside SGA’s junior development programmes. It will still be involved with these athletes over time, providing stability, overseas exposure, and support through the often-challenging transition from amateur to professional golf.

Building on a partnership that began in 2022, the collaboration has borne fruit, with EFG-sponsored athletes such as Shannon Tan and Chen Xingtong achieving milestones on the regional and international stage, the firm said in a statement. Their progress reflects the value of support during critical phases of development, particularly as young golfers move into a higher level of competition.

FinCity Tokyo, Frankfurt Main Finance
FinCity Tokyo and Frankfurt Main Finance, the two financial hubs of Tokyo and Frankfurt, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bolster cooperation amid global tensions amid concerns over climate change, and the rapid advance of disruptive new technologies.

The MOU was signed on 4 February at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo by the chairmen of the financial promotional organisations of the two cities, Hiroshi Nakaso of FinCity Tokyo and Oliver Behrens of Frankfurt Main Finance. The MOU will create a framework for mutual capital market development and institutional cooperation through conferences and forums, delegations and joint projects, the firm said in a statement. The expanded cooperation will also improve knowledge exchange on how to tackle challenges common to both countries, such as maintaining growth amid rapidly-ageing populations and meeting the energy demand of power-hungry digital infrastructure.

With the world grappling with the question of how to finance a green transition in coming decades, a key area of cooperation will be promoting financial services that contribute to a climate-resilient, low-carbon future, such as green and social bonds, transition finance, alternative investments and infrastructure investment. In fact, the MOU itself is an extension of a joint Tokyo-Frankfurt project in 2023 to study how to finance net-zero transformations through resilient global supply chains, the firm continued.

“Germany and Japan share not only economic interests, but also security interests in maintaining resilient supply chains, financial stability, technological sovereignty, and a rule-based international order,” Nakaso said.

After the establishment of the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) in Frankfurt in mid-2025, technology is also a promising area of collaboration. The creation of AMLA, which will use big data and AI to detect illegal capital flows, will be accompanied by the launch of tech labs and sandboxes where companies can trial new AI-driven compliance solutions.

“In areas such as decarbonisation and economic security, providing growth capital to critical infrastructure is of growing importance,” Nakaso said. “At the same time, the emergence of new funds, including central bank digital currency, is almost certain to alter the financial landscape in the coming years. In responding to these evolving financial trends, cooperation between Tokyo and Frankfurt offers unique strength.”