The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
EastWest Bank strengthened its standing in investment and wealth management after receiving four awards from International Finance Magazine (IFM) in 2026.
The bank was named Most Innovative Securities Broker, Best Priority Banking Experience, Best Emerging Fund Manager and Best Specialized Private Wealth Advisor.
The Best Priority Banking Experience award marked EastWest Priority’s fourth consecutive win in the category.
The four recognitions cover various areas of EastWest’s investment and wealth management operations, including securities distribution, priority banking, fund management and specialized private wealth advisory.
EastWest CEO Jerry G. Ngo said the bank’s focus is to expand access to investment opportunities while providing clients with advice suited to their financial goals.
“We want more clients to participate in investment opportunities that may have seemed out of reach before, while giving them advice that is relevant to where they are in their financial journey. Winning Best Priority Banking Experience for the fourth consecutive year makes this recognition especially meaningful, alongside our other awards. That is the thinking behind the solutions we continue to develop, and we are grateful that these efforts have been recognized,” Ngo said.
EastWest Priority has expanded beyond traditional banking services by combining personalized financial advice, investment solutions and relationship management for clients with different financial objectives.
The platform offers access to deposits, insurance, bonds, Unit Investment Trust Funds, equities, foreign exchange solutions, portfolio management services and selected alternative investments.
EastWest Priority operates 13 dedicated Priority Banking centers nationwide, supported by digital banking and advisory services. Its assets under management increased 40 percent year-on-year by the end of 2025.
The bank’s securities business was also recognized for efforts to make US dollar-denominated government securities more accessible to investors.
EastWest’s Financial Markets Distribution Group lowered the investment entry barrier for US dollar Treasury bills and bonds, allowing more investors to participate in securities that traditionally required higher minimum investments.
The bank also introduced Bond Pooling, enabling several investors to combine funds to meet the minimum investment requirements for securities that may otherwise be difficult to access individually.
Meanwhile, EastWest’s Trust and Asset Management Group (TAMG) received the Best Emerging Fund Manager and Best Specialized Private Wealth Advisor awards.
TAMG’s assets under management rose 10.9 percent from ₱70 billion in July 2025 to nearly ₱78 billion as of end-April 2026.
The group manages 13 EastWest Unit Investment Trust Funds and seven variable unit-linked insurance funds of EastWest Ageas Insurance.
In 2026, TAMG launched six new funds, including the EW Peso Multi-Asset Fund, EW Dollar Money Market Fund and four Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) funds.
Its accredited investment universe also expanded 69 percent from 154 securities in June 2023 to 260 as of March 2026, giving clients access to a broader range of domestic and international investment opportunities.
The private wealth advisory recognition reflects TAMG’s efforts to expand its discretionary portfolio management experience into more specialized advisory services for ultra-high-net-worth clients.
These services cover areas such as estate planning, private trust, capital market access and insurance, with the aim of integrating various financial solutions around clients’ long-term objectives.
EastWest said the four IFM awards reflect its continuing expansion across investment distribution, wealth management and specialized financial advisory services.