Asia Economics Update Singapore set for sub-trend growth Today’s GDP data show that Singapore's economy contracted in Q2, as manufacturers struggled. The figures back up our view that this will be a lacklustre year for the Singapore economy, and we retain... 13th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea cuts rates, further cuts likely soon The Bank of Korea (BoK) cut its policy rate to 3% today. It was a surprise that the move came at this meeting, but we have long held the view that rates would need to be cut this year to support the... 12th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia keep rates on hold, no change likely soon Bank Indonesia (BI) today left its main policy rate unchanged at a record low of 5.75%. Although inflation is likely to rise sharply in the second half of the year, with global demand set to remain... 12th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly The Philippines – on course for investment grade status The Philippines looks increasingly likely to be awarded investment grade status sometime in the next couple of years. A major improvement in the country’s fiscal position and much better macro... 9th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia keeps rates on hold, but cuts likely soon Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) left its policy rate unchanged at 3% today. This came as no surprise. Resilient domestic demand is for now compensating for an export slowdown. Nevertheless, we still expect... 5th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australian rates on hold, but more policy loosening to come The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its cash rate at 3.5% today, but the RBA's loosening cycle is still not over. Weakening external demand and recent falls in commodity prices will slow the... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Latest PMIs suggest Asian manufacturers are struggling The June PMIs for Asia were disappointing. With global growth set to remain weak and the situation in the euro-zone likely to worsen, we expect conditions in Asia’s manufacturing sector to remain... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asian Financial Crisis – 15 years on Monday 2nd July marks the 15-year anniversary of the start of the Asian Financial Crisis. In retrospect, the region weathered the crisis and its aftermath well. However, trend growth has slowed... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Economic growth to remain weak in Vietnam Economic growth in Vietnam in the second quarter of this year remained weak. Easing inflation and looser monetary policy will help, but growth will be held back by ongoing problems in the banking... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Are lower oil prices a blessing for Asia? The recent collapse in oil prices will help most Asian economies, with oil-intensive Thailand and India benefiting the most. The trouble though is that oil prices are falling because the global... 27th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What’s gone wrong in India? India’s economic troubles are mostly self-inflicted and result from policy paralysis and opposition to reforms. That is unlikely to change until the 2014 general elections at the earliest 26th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Falling oil prices provide more scope to loosen policy Exports from Asia have been weak so far in Q2 but domestic demand has held up reasonably well. Nonetheless, we doubt that growth in Asia’s trade-dependent economies would remain so resilient if global... 26th June 2012 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update What next for the Aussie dollar? The Australian dollar has rebounded in June despite the ongoing slide in commodity prices. The currency’s recovery has probably been due to a subtle shift in investors’ expectations about the relative... 26th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What do falling commodity prices mean for Australia? Sharp falls in commodity prices over recent weeks have raised questions over the sustainability of Australia’s mining investment boom. On the plus side, the struggling non-mining parts of the economy... 25th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan rate outlook hinges on exports Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) kept its policy rate at 1.875% today, as was widely expected. The economy’s dependence on export-led growth means that the global outlook will remain the key consideration... 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand will not sustain Q1 momentum Today’s GDP data show that New Zealand’s economy grew at its fastest pace since 2007 in Q1. We have raised our 2012 growth forecast in response. However, the strong Q1 performance does not change our... 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
