Bangkok--11 Jul--Moody's Investors Service Moody's Investors Service maintains stable or stable to positive outlooks for the 16 banking systems which it rates in Asia Pacific. "Overall, the sector's financial fundamentals continue to improve with earnings at good levels, asset quality steady and capital bases enhanced," says Jerry Chien, Team Managing Director for Moody's Financial Institutions Group in Asia Pacific. "In fact, the last few years have seen strong earnings in most banking systems throughout the region, and there is no reason to doubt that 2007 will be any different," says Chien, who was speaking on the release of Moody's annual Asian Banking Outlook. "At the same time, reform and restructuring in areas, such as risk management, governance and transparency continue, although at varying speeds and with different result. Furthermore, ongoing robust GDP growth provides a highly sympathetic operating environment," says Deborah Schuler, Senior Vice President and Regional Credit Officer. The report follows Moody's release of a package of articles looking at the developments in Asia's banking system, economies and financial markets on the 10th anniversary of the Asian crisis. The report is also the first outlook for the Asian banking system since the application in May of Moody's joint default analysis (JDA) to bank ratings and its refinement of its bank financial strength rating (BFSR) methodology. The new report covers a wide range of issues, including rating factors, capital structures, asset quality, the expansion into the consumer sector, consolidation, regulation, product diversification andcompetition. It also gives a detailed country-by-country assessment of the strengths and challenges facing the region's banking systems, and the key drivers which could determine whether the ratings for each individual banking system are expected to go up or down. The report, entitled the Asian Banking Outlook 2007, can be found at www.moodys.com while the Moody's package marking the 10th anniversary of the Asian crisis can be obtained www.moodys.com and www.economy.com . NOTE TO JOURNALISTS ONLY: For a copy of this report, please contact New York Press Information +1-212-553-0376; EMEA Press Information in London +44-20-7772-5456; Juan Pablo Soriano in Madrid +34-91-310-1454; Henry MacNevin in Milan +39-02-58-215-580; Eric de Bodard in Paris +331-5330-1076; Detlef Scholz in Frankfurt +49-69-707-30-700; Mardig Haladjian in Limassol +357-25-586-586; Alex Sazhin in Moscow +7 495 64118 81; Petr Vins in Prague +4202 2422 2929; Tokyo Press Information +813-5408-4110; Hilary Parkes in Toronto +1-416-214-1635; Hong Kong Press Information +852-2916-1150; Melinda Keating in Sydney +612 92708141; Luiz Tess in Sใo Paulo +5511-3043-7300; Alberto Jones Tamayo in Mexico City +5255-1253-5700; Daniel R๚as in Buenos Aires +54 11-4816-2332 ext. 105; or Reynold Leegerstee in Johannesburg +27-11-217-5471 or visit our web site at www.moodys.com Hong Kong Jerry Chien Managing Director Financial Institutions Group Moody's Asia Pacific Ltd. JOURNALISTS: (852) 2916-1150 SUBSCRIBERS: (852) 2916-1121 Singapore Deborah Schuler Senior Vice President Financial Institutions Group Moody's Singapore Pte Ltd. JOURNALISTS: (852) 2916-1150 SUBSCRIBERS: (65) 6398-8308