DBS sets bold target to double down on Australian loans within 5 years

SYDNEY: In a calculated move, DBS Group (DBSM.SI) intends to double its financial portfolio and securities bundle in Australia to A$20 billion over the next five years, CEO Tan Su Shan declared this week. According to the latest Reuters report, the grand strategy echoes the bank’s conviction in its ability to strengthen trade and investment streams between Australia and Southeast Asia.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Tan disclosed that DBS’s Australian lending book at present stands at nearly A$11 billion (S$7.16 billion). With impetus building in regional trade, she sees extensive prospects for growth.

“Australian companies have been more domestic-centric. We are trying to change that narrative,” Tan said.

A key accelerator to this push is a new contract inked with Austrade, Australia’s trade and investment promotion group. The alliance aims to restructure financing and support for Australian firms operating in Southeast Asian markets, primarily Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Tan cited AirTrunk as a case in point; a data centre operator and DBS client, which made waves in 2024 when it was purchased by a Blackstone-led consortium for A$24 billion. “AirTrunk is a great case of an Australian firm thinking beyond its borders. We’d love to rinse and repeat that with the other big Australian companies,” she noted.

The move comes after a robust financial performance by DBS. In May, bank records reported quarterly wealth management dues of S$724 million ($563.73 million), a 35% year-on-year growth, driven by a vigorous market sentiment. Overall assets under management increased by 13% to a record S$432 billion in Q1, highlighting the bank’s mounting regional presence.

Although international markets remain affixed to the U.S. dollar and Treasuries, Tan said several customers are beginning to expand and differentiate, eyeballing the euro and yen for fresh investment prospects. “You’ve seen also a lot more interest in the euro and the yen. The yen has strengthened as well, so we see people now looking at where do I invest in yen?”

As DBS expands its regional involvement, participation, and commitment in developing its presence in Australia, the bank is positioning itself as a major catalyst of Asia-Pacific economic consolidation, with emphasis on future-ready businesses and cross-border alliances.