DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX:D05) is seen leading the race to buy Barclays PLC (LSE:BARC)'s Hong Kong and Singapore private wealth units, valued at as much as $300 million, sources with knowledge of the situation said on March 21, 2016. The other bidder left in the race is rival Singaporean Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited (SGX:O39) the sources added. "This is a race between DBS and OCBC," said one of the sources.

DBS, OCBC and Barclays declined to comment. Julius Baer Group Ltd. (SWX:BAER) and United Overseas Bank Limited (SGX:U11) also took part in the initial stages of the sale process, they said. Spokespeople for Julius Baer and UOB declined to comment.