OCBC and DBS were the only Singapore banks to make Forbes’ inaugural ranking of the world’s top-performing banks in 2026.
OCBC ranked first in Tier 1, followed by DBS in second place. The category covers banks with more than US$500 billion in assets.
Forbes and market research firm Statista compiled the ranking using financial data, desk research and information submitted by banks.
Unlike Forbes’ existing rankings based mainly on customer surveys, the new list focuses on financial performance.
Banks were assessed on profitability, growth and earnings quality, capital and funding resilience, and asset quality and efficiency.
The analysis covered indicators such as returns, net interest margins, deposit growth, equity ratios and loan-to-deposit ratios.
Banks needed more than US$3 billion in assets and at least three consecutive years of financial data to qualify.
They were divided into six tiers by asset size to allow comparisons between similar institutions.
The final list included 500 banks from 89 countries. Companies did not pay to participate or be selected.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by lifeforstock via Magnific
