OverviewUnited
Overseas Bank (UOB) is a Singapore-based commercial bank established in 1935 and headquartered in Raffles Place, Singapore, and is one of the leading financial institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. As a public company, UOB's shareholders include public investors and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), but it is not a state-owned enterprise. UOB has more than 500 branches in 19 countries and regions around the world, mainly covering the Asia-Pacific region, and also has a presence in Western countries and North America. Its ATM network is widely distributed in the service area, reflecting its international layout as a regional bank.
basic information
type: commercial bank
UOB is a commercial bank originally founded by a group of Chinese businessmen under the name United Chinese Bank (UCB), which was renamed United Overseas Bank in 1965. It is a publicly traded company listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) under the ticker symbol U11 and provides a comprehensive range of financial services to individuals, corporates and institutional clients, including personal banking, corporate banking, wealth management, investment banking, and insurance services.
name and backgroundFull
name: United Overseas Bank Limited
Founded: August 6,
1935 Headquarters location: 80 Raffles Place, Singapore, UOB PlazaShareholder
background:
UOB is a publicly traded company with public float accounting for approximately 76% of the total issued shares, indicating that it is widely held by the public.
Major shareholders include the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), which indicates that the government holds a partial stake, but UOB is not a state-owned enterprise.
Other shareholders include institutional investors and retail investors. UOB is not a state-owned enterprise, nor is it a joint venture, but an independent, publicly traded commercial bank.
service coverage
: UOB has more than 500 branches in 19 countries and regions around the world, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, etc. In addition, UOB has branches in Western countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and North America.
Number of offline outlets:
Singapore: 68
branchesIndonesia: 41 branches, 172 sub-branchesThailand
: 194 branches
Malaysia: 58 BranchesChina
: 20 BranchesOther
Regions: Globally, UOB has more than 500 branches and offices.
ATM Distribution: UOB has a wide distribution of ATMs in its service area, for example, in Singapore, UOB's ATMs are spread across the country. In addition, UOB participates in shared ATM networks (such as ATM5 in Singapore), which allows customers to withdraw money from ATMs of other partner banks.
regulatory and compliance
regulator
:- Singapore
: UOB As a Singapore bank, UOB is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). MAS is Singapore's central bank and financial regulator that oversees compliance and financial stability for all banks.
Other countries: Since UOB has branches in several countries, its operations are also regulated by local regulators. For example:
Malaysia: regulated by the Banking Authority (BNM).
Thailand: Regulated by the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
Indonesia: Regulated by the Financial Services Authority (OJK).
Other regions: The specific regulatory authority depends on the country of operation.
UOBs are required to comply with international regulatory standards, such as Basel III, to ensure that capital adequacy and liquidity coverage ratios meet the requirements.
Deposit Insurance Scheme: UOB is a member bank of the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Under the SDIC, non-bank depositors' SGD deposits and deposits under the Supplementary Retirement Scheme are insured up to a maximum of S$100,000 per depositor per member bank. In other countries, UOB may participate in a local deposit insurance program, subject to local regulator information.
Recent Compliance Record: UOB has been committed to complying with international and local regulatory standards, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CFT) regulations. UOB's annual report mentions that its compliance framework meets the Basel Committee's standards for "Banking Compliance and Compliance Functions", but specific recent compliance records (such as fines or regulatory inspection results) are not disclosed in detail in public information, and it is recommended to refer to the latest annual report (UOB Annual Report) or the MAS website.
Products &
ServicesUOB offers a wide range of financial services and products, including individual and corporate customers, including:
Personal Banking:
Loan products: Provide home loans, personal loans, and car loans to meet personal financing needs.
Credit and debit cards: A variety of credit and debit cards are available, with spending rewards and installment payment options.
Insurance products: Partnered with United Overseas Insurance to provide life, medical, and property insurance.
Wealth management and investment products: including funds, stocks, bonds and other investment tools, suitable for wealth appreciation needs.
Online Banking & Mobile Banking App: With the UOB TMRW App and online banking, customers can manage their accounts at any time.
Deposit products: including savings accounts and fixed deposits, to meet different savings needs.
Corporate Banking Services:
Corporate Loans: Financing support for SMEs and large enterprises.
Trade Finance: including letters of credit, collections and factoring services to support international trade.
Cash management: Provide corporate account management, payment and collection services to improve capital efficiency.
Capital market solutions: including bond issuance and M&A advisory to help companies raise capital.
Advisory Services: Financial and strategic consulting for businesses.
Financial products: including foreign exchange, interest rate and credit products to meet the needs of enterprise risk management.
Global Market Services:
foreign exchange trading: Currency exchange and hedging services for clients.
Interest rate products: including interest rate swaps and bond investments.
Credit products: Provide credit derivatives and risk management tools.
Commodity trading: Support the trading of commodities such as gold and silver.
Stock trading: Provide stock trading services through the platform.
Structured investment products: Design customized investment solutions to meet the needs of high-end customers.
Other services:
Asset Management: Professional asset management services through UOB Asset Management.
Insurance: Partnered with United Overseas Insurance to offer a diverse range of insurance products.
Travel services: Travel-related financial support is provided through UOB Travel Planners.
Venture Capital: Supporting startups with UOB Venture Management.
Global Capital: Provides cross-border investment services through UOB Global Capital.
Financial Health
Key Indicator (FY2024):
Non-performing loan ratio: 1.53% (slightly higher in 2024 than in 2023), indicating good asset quality and strong risk control capabilities.
Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR): No specific data is publicly available, but UOBs are subject to regulatory liquidity standards and are generally maintained above 100% to ensure liquidity security.
Capital adequacy ratio: No specific data is disclosed, but UOB, as a listed bank, is subject to the capital adequacy requirements of the MAS and international regulatory standards such as Basel. According to industry standards, their capital adequacy ratios are generally higher than regulatory minimums.
UOB is financially stable, with net revenue of S$6.05 billion in 2024 (up 8.0% YoY), with revenue diversification to include revenue from retail banking, wholesale banking and global markets. The cost-to-income ratio was 42.5%, indicating high operational efficiency.
Digital Service Experience
APP and Online BankingUser Rating:
UOB TMRW App(iOS):App The Store rating is about 3.5 stars (based on user reviews).
UOB TMRW App (Android): Google Play rating of around 3.0 stars (based on user reviews).
Online banking: The user experience varies from person to person, but the overall rating is moderate, with some users criticizing the imperfect features and interface design.
Core Functions:
UOB TMRW App:
to view account balances and transaction history
Transfers & Payments (including DuitNow Instant Transfers),
Credit Card Management (including Limit Adjustments and Installments),
Investment Instruments (e.g. Wealth Management Products & Funds),
Facial Recognition & Biometric Login
, Real-time Transaction Alerts
Online banking: Offers similar features, but the user experience is slightly inferior to that of a mobile app.
customer service
security measures
two-factor authentication (2FA) : Protect accounts via SMS OTP or digital tokens.
Biometric login: Fingerprint and facial recognition login are supported.
Transaction Alerts: Provide instant SMS or email alerts to alert clients of account changes.
Fraud Monitoring: UOB's 24-hour fraud hotline (+65 6255 0160) allows customers to report suspicious transactions at any time.
Featured Services & Differentiation
Wealth Management: UOB offers a comprehensive range of wealth management services, including private banking, investment products and insurance.
Internationalization: As a regional bank, UOB provides multi-currency accounts and cross-border transfer services to facilitate financial management in the Asia-Pacific region.
Digital innovation: The UOB TMRW App integrates multiple features to provide a holistic digital banking experience.
Customer loyalty programs: UOB offers a loyalty program (such as UOB Rewards) that allows customers to accumulate rewards through everyday purchases.
UOB is a regional commercial bank with a long history and a wide range of services, and its digital transformation and international layout have provided convenience to customers, but some users have suggested improvements to its digital service experience. In terms of supervision, UOB is supervised by a number of regulatory agencies such as MAS, and the specific information of the supervised banks needs to be queried through official channels. Its financial health and service offerings demonstrate strong competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, making it suitable for clients seeking international financial services.
