ASEAN Stock Exchange Leaders Strategize to Attract Global Capital

Stock exchange leaders from across Southeast Asia convened for the Thailand Focus 2026: Reignite Thailand event, participating in an ASEAN Exchange Session titled ASEAN Exchange: A Region of Growth Opportunities (ASEAN Exchange Session) Connecting Opportunities, Growing Together (ASEAN Growth Opportunities (ASEAN Exchange session) Inclusive Opportunities: Connecting Capital to Growth Across the ASEAN Region”). The session was moderated by Mr. Sorawit Krairiksh, Deputy Manager and Head of Marketing, Stock Exchange of Thailand. The leaders set a collective goal to position the bloc’s capital markets as interconnected growth opportunities rather than competing entities, emphasizing that the regional market should be viewed as providing complementary opportunities rather than competing internally. The leadership highlighted leveraging technology and innovation to make ASEAN markets more accessible and attractive to global investors.

Bursa Malaysia CEO Outlines Strong Domestic Liquidity and Semiconductor Strengths

Highlighting the region’s diverse economic pillars, Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia, spoke during the Luncheon Talk of the ASEAN Growth Opportunities session on August 26, 2026. He told attendees that ASEAN is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economic system by 2040, and noted that global capital markets remain heavily underweight in ASEAN assets.

Malaysia brings robust fundamentals to the regional alliance, anchored by strong domestic institutional support. Continuous long-term capital flows in domestic equities can inject more than 28 billion ringgit in new investments into the financial system.

The Malaysian exchange also stands out as a leader in Islamic Capital Markets, where Shariah-compliant securities account for 80% of its listed assets. Corporate fundamentals remain solid, with nearly 60% of listed companies paying dividends, which Dato’ Fad’l described as an essential characteristic of the market.

IPO Volumes and Semiconductor Export Dominance in Malaysia

Malaysia maintains a prominent foothold in global technology supply chains as the world’s sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, absorbing roughly 13% of global chip assembly and testing work.

That industrial strength has translated into sustained initial public offering activity. Throughout 2025, Bursa Malaysia recorded 60 IPOs, raising close to 6 billion ringgit and generating a combined market capitalization of over 7.4 billion ringgit (further specified as 27.4 billion ringgit in exchange records). Momentum continued into the first half of 2026, adding another 42 newly listed companies that raised a similar tally of nearly 6 billion ringgit, alongside a market capitalization exceeding 1.

Bursa Malaysia is actively targeting high-value sectors for new listings, including semiconductors, technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, while supporting medium-sized enterprises and SMEs through listings on the ACE and LEAP markets.

Corporate Value Upgrades and Cross-Border Exchange Linkages

To enhance market quality, Bursa Malaysia introduced its value-creation program, “My Value Up,” targeting 88 large-cap companies that represent roughly 80% of the country’s total market capitalization. Currently operating on a voluntary basis, participating firms are asked to formulate clear value-creation plans equipped with measurable key performance indicators by the end of the year ahead of tracking and reviewing results in 2027.

Product expansion is also underway to offer investors increased alternatives, including ETFs and Digital Asset ETFs. On the international front, Malaysia has forged cooperative agreements with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (SFC) and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX) to examine the feasibility of executing dual listings.