Winners Rationale

“BNP Paribas Wealth Management (BNP Paribas WM)’s fixed income advisory business was recognised as Best Private Bank – Fixed Income Advisory for its ability to navigate a complex environment of lower net supply while delivering record growth and actionable investment solutions across Asia. In 2025, the firm’s commitment to excellence was evidenced by substantial year-on-year growth in fixed income revenue and its ability to secure outsized returns in a shifting rate landscape,” said Audrey Raj, editor of Asian Private Banker. 

“Faced with limited primary market supply, the bank pivoted to private placements, secondary market, and fixed income structured products to create bespoke supply for clients. This agility helped improve overall margins, demonstrating the bank’s leadership in identifying value where traditional markets fell short.

“The fixed income advisory team translated market dynamics into tactical successes through high-conviction calls. A notable achievement was the Bank Capital call, where the team maintained a bullish stance on AT1s despite tight valuations, resulting in significant year-to-date gains. Furthermore, the bank’s HKD Free Money Trap strategy utilised interest rate swaps to lock in lower funding costs, providing clients with defensive, double-digit returns amidst volatile USD-HKD differentials.

“Innovation remained a core pillar, with the bank deploying fixed income structured products such as inverse floaters and bond-linked notes to monetise interest rate shifts and volatility. On the digital front, BNP Paribas WM integrated GenAI via Microsoft 365 Copilot to streamline research summarisation and document translation, enhancing productivity while maintaining rigorous human fact-checking for client-facing communications. 

“Together, these strategic initiatives and robust client performance make BNP Paribas WM a deserving winner of Best Private Bank – Fixed Income Advisory. Kudos to the team led by Shafali Sachdev.”