Bloomberg Singapore has received “strong interest” in its effort to open up the banking industry to fresh competition after 21 groups made bids for digital licenses, the financial regulator said. A “diverse group” lodged applications, including e-commerce, technology and tele communications companies, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Tuesday, without identifying the parties. Seven were for digital full-bank …

Bloomberg China’s surging consumer inflation will rise further on the current oil spike, but the jump won’t last long and probably won’t affect the pace of monetary easing in 2020, according to Citigroup Inc. Consumer inflation in China will hit 5% in January as higher oil prices combined with a low base from 2019 drive up the cost of vehicle …

Bloomberg Asia’s best carry trade is suddenly in Hong Kong, where the local dollar has strengthened to an almost three-year high. Elevated local rates are increasing the appeal of owning the city’s currency, after years of depreciation wagers. Selling the greenback and using the proceeds to buy Hong Kong dollars has delivered Asia’s highest Sharpe ratio — a measure of …