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CGS International Retains ASEAN’s Leading Broker Position in the 2026 Extel Asia Local Broker Survey

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Ranked the #1 overall broker in Malaysia, and among the top three brokers overall in Thailand, Indonesia and Retained its position as ASEAN’s Top Broker in Trading & Execution, reaffirming its excellence in execution services across the region.Among the 24 industries and macro categories surveyed, CGS International has 156 ranked positions[1] throughout the region, including 10 analysts ranked #1 across 15 sectors. Separately, the firm’s Fitch Rating for Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and Shareholder Support Rating have been upgraded to ‘BBB’ and ‘bbb’ respectively, with a Stable Outlook

SINGAPORE, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CGS International Securities Pte. Ltd. (“CGS International”) has retained its title as the top ASEAN broker in the 2026 Extel Asia Local Broker Survey for the second year running. The survey is widely regarded as the region’s benchmark for excellence in sell-side equities research and brokerage performance. This year, top local firms and analysts across 11 Asia-Pacific countries and regions were ranked based on votes from more than 3,000 investment professionals at 826 institutions.

Strong Performance Across ASEAN Markets

CGS International delivered outstanding results across key ASEAN markets, achieving 1st overall in Malaysia, and top three overall finishes in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. The firm also demonstrated clear strength across its core franchise, ranking #1 in Trading & Execution in both Singapore and Malaysia, as well as #1 in Sales and Research in Malaysia. This was accompanied by several #2 positions across Corporate Access, Sales and Trading & Execution in the key markets. (see appendix for full results)

Overall, CGS International had 156 ranked positions across 43 unique analysts, with 10 #1-ranked positions across 15 sectors such as Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Property, Sustainability, Gaming & Lodging, Technology, and Industrials.

This ASEAN strength placed CGS International among the leading local brokers across the wider Asia-Pacific region, with the firm ranking in the top 10 of Extel’s pan-Asia Local Broker Leaders’ Table.

Fitch Ratings Upgraded

Separately, Fitch Ratings has also upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and Shareholder Support Rating of both CGS International Securities Pte. Ltd. and CGS International Securities Singapore Pte. Ltd. to ‘BBB’ and ‘bbb’ respectively, with a Stable Outlook. CGS International Securities Thailand Co., Ltd’s National Long-Term Rating was upgraded to ‘AA-(tha)’ from ‘A+(tha)’ and the National Short-Term Rating at ‘F1+(tha)’ was affirmed. Overall, the upgrades reflect growing confidence in the Group’s strategic positioning, financial trajectory, and integration within the broader China Galaxy Securities (CGS) franchise.

Lim Siew Khee, Group Head of Research, CGS International, said: “The Extel results this year are an affirmation of our strengths in ASEAN, where we have built deep expertise and enduring relationships with clients and partners. We see this as an encouragement to keep raising the bar for our clients.”

The survey results rest on a franchise built over more than 45 years in the region. CGS International has one of the most comprehensive coverages of over 600 stocks, with another 2,500 from our research partners globally. Backed by CGS, the firm has positioned itself as a China-ASEAN nexus, facilitating cross-border capital flows and cooperation.

Carol Fong, Group CEO, CGS International added: “These recognitions position us stronger as a trusted gateway between China, ASEAN, and global capital markets. Our deepening integration with CGS and combined strengths in China and ASEAN will take us from strength to strength. We believe that our One CGS approach will bring greater value to clients as Asia rises in prominence.”

– END –

About CGS International Securities

CGS International Securities Pte. Ltd. (“CGS International”) is an award-winning and market leading integrated financial services provider, ranked among the top securities houses in Asia.

CGS International taps on its wealth of global and ASEAN insights to offer equities trading, leveraged products, wealth management, investment banking, equities research, Shariah-compliant financing, fixed income, currency and commodities, structured products and prime brokerage services in over 15 countries and regions.

Along with its parent organisation China Galaxy Securities, a leading securities house in China, CGS International is trusted by over 18 million customers globally.

Find out more at www.cgsi.com.

Appendix: Detailed Results by Market

The survey aggregates buy-side votes across Research, Sales, Corporate Access and Trading & Execution to determine overall country rankings. CGS International’s placements across its key markets were as follows.

Malaysia

#1 overall country ranking#1 in Sales, #1 in Research and #1 in Trading & Execution; #2 in Corporate Access#1-ranked analysts in Chemicals; Oil & Gas; Gaming & Lodging; Industrials; Transportation; and Utilities & Alternative Energy24 ranked analysts† across 17 sectors, including Internet, Insurance, Telecommunications, Economics, and Healthcare, Pharma & Biotech

Indonesia

#3 overall country ranking#2 in Corporate Access, Sales and Trading & Execution; #4 in Research#1-ranked analysts in Quantitative Research and Thematic Research19 ranked analysts† across 15 sectors, including Sustainability, Property, Transportation, and Banks & Non-bank Finance

Singapore

#3 overall country ranking#1 in Trading & Execution; #2 in Corporate Access; #4 in Research; #5 in Sales#1-ranked analysts in Chemicals; Oil & Gas; Consumer Staples; Technology Hardware; Technology Semiconductors; and Transportation21 ranked analysts† across 17 sectors, including Autos & Auto Parts, Industrials, Utilities & Alternative Energy, Small & Mid-cap Stocks, and Sustainability

Thailand

#3 overall country ranking#2 in Research; #3 in Corporate Access, Sales and Trading & Execution#1-ranked analysts in Chemicals; Oil & Gas; Sustainability; and Property16 ranked analysts† across 15 sectors, including Strategy, Technology Hardware, Technology Semiconductors, and Banks & Non-bank Finance

South Korea

#6 overall country ranking#3 in Trading & Execution; #4 in Corporate Access; #6 in Research; #8 in Sales#3-ranked analyst in Internet7 ranked analysts† across 7 sectors, including Consumer Discretionary, Telecommunications, Utilities & Alternative Energy, and Basic Materials

Mainland China and Hong Kong

#11 overall in both mainland China and Hong Kong combinedResearch: #9 in mainland China, #12 in Hong Kong, with 1† ranked analyst in the Insurance sectorSales: #11 in Hong Kong, #12 in mainland China; Corporate Access: #12 in Hong Kong, #13 in mainland China

† Top 5 Position

[1] Formally ranked positions received more than 5 independent votes each.

 

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SOURCE CGS International Securities Pte. Ltd.

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Futu Unveils Major AI Upgrade, Making Professional Agentic Investing Accessible to All, Seize the Next Rally with FUTU AI

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HONG KONG, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) Limited (“Futu”)  announced a comprehensive upgrade to its AI capabilities with the launch of “Expert” mode, its self-developed and built-in AI agent. Powered by a novel “Agentic AI + Skills” architecture that delivers simplicity, customization, and security. Futu’s pursuit is to make its platform accessible, easy to use, user-friendly, and intuitive for every user — truly empowering investors to analyze rationally, make better investment decisions, and seize more opportunities to profit.

Futu hosted a product launch event at its Causeway Bay flagship store yesterday, attracting more than 50 guests, including AI industry experts, university professors, and KOLs from the finance and technology sectors. The event also featured a product experience zone and interactive demonstration area, allowing attendees to try out the new AI capabilities firsthand. Meanwhile, the livestream of the product launch event on the Futubull Community and the official YouTube channel attracted more than 40,000 views from users and fans.

This upgrade also brings to Hong Kong the first AI solution to span the entire investment journey, from information gathering and analysis to decision-making and trade execution. Far from a simple aggregation of features, it represents a paradigm shift in the underlying architecture — evolving from a passive Q&A AI assistant into an intelligent investment partner capable of independent thinking, proactive planning, advanced reflection, and execution.

At the product launch event, Joe Yu, Chief Marketing Officer of Futu Securities, noted that market opportunities always exist, yet retail investors often find it difficult to capture them. As such, investors need tools that can help establish investment discipline and enhance the rationality of decision-making. Futu is committed to democratizing intelligent investing capabilities, enabling every retail investor to access professional-grade investment tools and participate in the market more effectively. Vincent Yao, Head of AI Growth Center at Futu, provided an in-depth introduction to the two new AI products unveiled at the event — “Expert” Mode and the Agentic AI + Skills architecture. Through multiple application scenarios and real-life examples, he demonstrated how AI can empower the entire investment process, from information integration and advanced reflection to strategy execution.

Joe Yu, Chief Marketing Officer of Futu Securities stated: “Through the deep integration of technology and finance, we hope to make professional investment capabilities more accessible. Today’s launch is only the beginning. Our goal is not merely to create a useful AI feature, but to build a complete AI investment ecosystem. With breakthroughs in AI technology, the gap between retail investors and institutions in information access, data analysis, and strategy construction is gradually being narrowed by technology. Looking ahead, Futu will continue to uphold the principles of safety, compliance, and effectiveness, while investing in AI, product innovation, and talent development. Through self-developed technologies, we will continue optimizing the user experience and strive to build a truly inclusive automated investment ecosystem. Professional capabilities should not be monopolized — they should belong to every investor who takes investing seriously.”

Vincent Yao, Head of AI Growth Center at Futu stated: “”While there is no shortage of AI-powered investment tools on the market today, most remain limited to basic question-and-answer functionality, struggling to handle complex cross-market and cross-asset analysis, let alone seamlessly translating insights into actual trades. Futu’s upgraded AI is designed to redefine the boundaries of AI investing and put an end to the era of superficial interactions, empowering investors to learn, evolve, and make stronger decisions in the new era of Agentic Investing.”

Multiple interactive experience stations were set up at the venue. After the product launch, guests experienced Futu AI’s latest capabilities firsthand, including using Futubull AI’s “Expert” Mode for in-depth stock interpretation, as well as building personalized AI agents through the open platform. Participants also experienced the full process from strategy generation to simulated trading. In addition, attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on the prospects and trends of AI applications in the financial sector, with enthusiastic responses.

Calvin Tsai, quantitative trader and co-founder of Hong Kong Program Trading Research Center, said: “From the perspective of quantitative trading, the core of investing has always been disciplining and systematic decision-making. After experiencing Futu AI’s ‘Expert’ Mode and its Agentic architecture at the product launch event, I can see that AI is no longer merely an auxiliary analysis tool — it is beginning to acquire the ability to put strategy logic into execution. For retail investors, this means capabilities that once belonged only to professional institutions are gradually being opened up. I believe that if such technologies continue to be optimized, they have the potential to reshape how investors interact with the market in the future.”

Two Key Product Highlights

1. Futubull AI “Expert” Mode — Professional-Grade Research Through Conversation

Producing a high-quality sector analysis or expert insights once required days of sifting through financial statements, integrating data, and building models. Today, with Futubull AI’s “Expert” mode, it takes just a few minutes. Driven by the new Agentic + Skills architecture, Futubull AI possesses a complete cognitive loop: deconstructing problems, planning paths, invoking tools, reflecting and verifying, and outputting conclusions.

Whether an investor poses highly complex questions, such as “Under the current macro environment, which targets in the Hong Kong semiconductor sector offer Alpha opportunities using options strategies, or requests comparative dissection spanning multiple markets and asset classes, Futubull AI can integrate real-time financial data with professional interpretation tools. No longer merely a chatbot, Futubull AI is now your 24/7 industry expert.

In a critical breakthrough for trade execution, Futubull AI’s “Expert” Mode enables natural language order placement, understands the user’s investment intent and translates it into trading commands precisely. During conversations, investors can complete transactions for equities, options, and ETFs using simple language without switching interfaces.

The soon-to-launch Futubull AI + Algo feature lowers the barrier to quantitative trading, allowing any investor to transform strategy ideas into actionable strategies without writing a single line of code.

2. Open Ecosystem — Code-Free Capabilities with Multi-Layered Security Architecture : Mobilize Your AI Financial Expert Team with a Single Sentence

Futu has packaged its years of deep expertise in market data, trading, stock selection, and derivatives into Futu Skills and MCPs (Model Context Protocol), allowing investors and developers to flexibly invoke them within standard AI Agents available in the market.

Investors can freely select and combine different capability modules based on their personal investment style and needs, ranging from quantitative smart stock selection and real-time portfolio risk monitoring to multi-dimensional market analysis and all-market execution. This allows them to build a unique personal research team, using simple language as a unified command to orchestrate the entire team’s collaboration. Multi-strategy, multi-expert collaboration models that were once affordable only for large hedge funds are now accessible to ordinary investors.

Futu recognizes that as AI becomes increasingly integrated into trade execution, investors’ concerns around privacy and capital security must remain a top priority and Futu is committed to delivering a powerful and responsible AI product to every investor. To address these concerns, Futu AI has established multiple layers of protection: a simulated environment by default to ensure strategies are tested before execution, a password-protection mechanism that strictly separates the AI from live trading, and end-to-end encryption to safeguard data and prevent information leakage. All sensitive data is processed locally, ensuring that client information and trading environments are operated under the highest security standards.

Experiential event in Late July Featuring Interactive Gaming Zones

Futu has recently launched its new “Futu AI” feature, while CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, is targeted to launch the new U.S. Single Stock Futures* at the end of July (*pending completion of all regulatory review and processes). To mark these developments, Futu, in collaboration with CME Group will jointly bring an offline interactive experience event at the K11 Art Mall atrium in Tsim Sha Tsui from July 28 to August 5.

To invite the public to experience firsthand the innovative application of “Futu AI”, the event will feature an AI-themed showcase area, offering insights into the latest smart trading tools to help investors better understand emerging technologies in trading. AI interactive gaming zone and a large-scale FUTU mascot installation will also be set up, delivering an immersive AI experience for participants.

Furthermore, the pop-up will preview CME Group’s upcoming U.S. Single Stock Futures*, expanding investors’ knowledge of global market instruments. The event will be open to the public. Investors are encouraged to attend and experience how AI technology is reshaping the investment landscape, while capturing opportunities brought by the next generation of agentic investing.

“Seize the Next Rally with FUTU AI” Offline Experience Event
Date: 28 July – 5 August 2026
Venue: G/F, Atrium, K11 Art Mall

Contact: media@futuhk.com

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SOURCE Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) Limited

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Vield partners with Integral to automate hedging as crypto-backed lending scales

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SYDNEY, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vield, an Australian crypto-backed lending platform, has partnered with Integral, a leading currency technology provider, to enhance its trading and risk management capabilities through automated, institutional-grade execution technology.

Vield enables clients to use bitcoin as collateral to finance homes, cars and other major purchases without selling their crypto holdings. Since launch, the company has approved more than AUD 50 million in loans to over 1,000 clients with zero defaults. As its loan book business scaled, Vield required institutional-grade technology to effectively manage cryptocurrency price movements and AUD currency risk.

Integral’s technology replaces a manual, multi-counterparty hedging process with an automated and unified platform, giving Vield access to a wide range of crypto and FX liquidity sources with aggregated pricing, advanced risk management, and 24/7 execution. The result is more effective auto-hedging in volatile crypto markets and a significant reduction in operational complexity – supporting the firm’s growth as it scales its crypto-backed lending offering across Australia.

The ability to manage risk in an automated and real time manner across cryptocurrencies and AUD is critical in the digital assets sector, where volatility can be significantly higher than in traditional asset classes and can affect both performance and stability. The partnership reflects the ongoing maturation of digital asset markets, with firms increasingly investing in institutional-level infrastructure to manage risk and enhance transparency.

In Australia, new digital asset regulations and strengthened licensing requirements introduced in April are expected to further accelerate demand for institutional-grade operations and technology to ensure regulatory compliance.

Johnny Phan, Co-Founder at Vield, said: “As we have over AUD 50 million in approved loans, serving our clients reliably and at scale has become more important than ever. Integral’s technology gives us institutional-grade execution and automation that strengthens how we manage risk while supporting our growth ambitions.”

Harpal Sandhu, CEO at Integral, commented: “As digital asset markets mature, the resilience of a firm’s execution and risk infrastructure is becoming as important as the products they offer. Integral’s technology brings institutional standards to firms managing exposure in a market that never closes, and demand for that capability is now accelerating across the APAC region.

About Integral

Integral is the currency technology partner to hundreds of financial institutions, including banks, brokers, investors and cross-border payment companies, who have embedded Integral’s technology in their workflows and customer-facing services.

Adopted first by the financial markets and now integrated across all industries – our embedded FX and crypto services are solving the currency challenges faced by every global organization.

Founded in 1993, we support customers from our offices in Palo Alto, New York, London, Tokyo, Singapore and Bengaluru.

Additional information is available at www.integral.com.

©2026 Integral Development Corp. All rights reserved. Integral technology is protected under U.S. patents and patent-pending applications and related intellectual property rights.

Contact: Integral, 380 Portage Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94306

email: integral@aspectusgroup.com

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SOURCE Vield; Integral

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MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9 Introduces New BitLocker Manager

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VANCOUVER, BC, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MiniTool® Software Limited has announced the release of MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9, a new version of its partition manager. It features the new BitLocker Manager, expanded support for BitLocker-protected partitions, optimized NTFS partition handling, and multiple usability improvements for a more efficient disk management experience.

By bringing BitLocker Manager and disk/partition operations into the same workspace, MiniTool Partition Wizard helps users manage encrypted drives more efficiently without switching between multiple utilities.

New Features and Improvements in MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9

1. New BitLocker Manager for Easier Drive Encryption Control

MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9 introduces BitLocker Manager, allowing users to turn BitLocker on or off and lock or unlock encrypted drives without switching to Windows settings. It also displays accurate used and free space information for unlocked BitLocker partitions, making encrypted drive management more convenient. This feature is available in the Free Edition.

2. Expanded Support for BitLocker-Protected Partitions

MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9 significantly expands support for BitLocker-protected partitions, enabling more disk and partition operations while maintaining compatibility with Windows BitLocker.

The new version supports a wide range of operations on BitLocker-protected drives based on their encryption status:

Unlocked BitLocker data partitions: Support common operations such as resize, format, copy, split, change cluster size, file system check, data recovery, and more.Locked BitLocker data partitions: Supports operations such as copy, format, delete, wipe, partition recovery, and disk conversion.BitLocker-protected system partitions: Supports operations such as resize, split, copy, format, wipe, file system check, surface test, and data recovery.

3. Expanded NTFS Cluster Size Support

With support for NTFS cluster sizes up to 2 MB, MiniTool Partition Wizard now matches the maximum cluster size supported by Windows operating systems. This provides greater flexibility when configuring large storage devices.

4. Optimized NTFS Resize Workflow

MiniTool Partition Wizard now optimizes NTFS resize operations by intelligently selecting the most suitable processing method based on the partition layout, improving efficiency and system compatibility.

5. Enhanced Compatibility and User Experience

MiniTool Partition Wizard 13.9 also brings several improvements to software usability, compatibility, and reliability.

Key improvements include:

Improves compatibility with Windows 11 Administrator Protection for more reliable disk management under enhanced system security.Refines the user interface with better high-DPI support, clearer icons, larger default fonts, and disk numbering aligned with Windows Disk Management.

These updates deliver a smoother and more consistent user experience across supported Windows environments.

About MiniTool Partition Wizard

MiniTool Partition Wizard is a comprehensive disk partition management software for Windows users. Its products include solutions for partition management, BitLocker drive management, disk cloning, file system conversion, disk benchmarking, data recovery, storage analysis, and disk cleanup, helping users manage storage devices more efficiently.

About MiniTool® Software Limited

MiniTool Software Limited is a professional software company specializing in developing computer applications. It provides solutions for partition management, data recovery, data backup, video editing, and multimedia conversion for home and business users. The company is committed to developing innovative, reliable, and easy-to-use software that simplifies everyday digital tasks.

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SOURCE MiniTool® Software Limited

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