Asia Economics Update How high will rates go in Korea? The Bank of Korea today kicked-started its tightening cycle by raising rates by 25bps to 2.75%, and the tone of the central bank’s statement makes clear that further tightening is likely. We now... 16th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Which EMs will be next to hike rates? The renewed rise in oil prices has cast fresh uncertainty over the outlook for interest rates. But one thing that emerges from the latest CPI data is that there are a handful of countries where strong... 15th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update From energy to food: El Niño reshapes inflation risks Despite easing energy-driven inflation pressures, central banks in Asia are unlikely to rush to unwind recent rate hikes given the growing upside risks to food inflation from El Niño. 7th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia: investors lose faith as Prabowo doubles down The latest sharp falls in Indonesia’s financial markets reflect growing concerns that President Prabowo is doubling down on his populist and interventionist approach to policymaking. The central bank... 4th June 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s booming chip exports mask vulnerabilities Korea’s economy is riding an extraordinary wave of global demand for its AI-related exports and, despite the drag from higher energy prices, we have raised our growth forecasts for this year. But the... 4th June 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Booming electronics demand offsetting drag from high energy prices The manufacturing PMIs for May suggest that the drag from higher energy prices is being offset by booming electronics demand, although price pressures across the region remain elevated. 1st June 2026 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update A hawkish hold, as Bank of Korea signals rate hikes coming The Bank of Korea today left interest rates unchanged at 2.50%, but clearly signalled that rate hikes were coming amid concerns about the inflationary impact of higher energy prices. We have adjusted... 28th May 2026 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update India trip notes – heatwave, rupee, RBI and AI A week spent visiting clients and contacts in Delhi and Mumbai has underscored the extent to which the Middle East conflict is reverberating through the economy. Several of our discussions were... 26th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka hikes rates as Asian policymakers become more hawkish Today’s sharp increase in interest rates in Sri Lanka highlights the country’s vulnerability to the crisis in the Middle East, and is unlikely to be the last unless the crisis subsides soon. Please... 26th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Prabowo tightens grip on Indonesia’s commodity exports The creation of a state-owned export monopoly may help Indonesia’s government capture a greater share of commodity revenues, but it risks deterring investment, undermining confidence in policymaking... 21st May 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia’s low inflation comes at a rising fiscal cost Inflation across Asia is beginning to diverge sharply, driven largely by differences in how governments are managing rising energy costs. Some economies have allowed higher fuel prices to pass through... 20th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Which EM central banks might be next to hike? The EM central banks that have tightened monetary conditions in response to the energy shock (Turkey, Pakistan, Philippines) are facing balance of payments strains and very large inflation shocks... 19th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Rate hike would provide only brief respite for rupiah The Indonesian rupiah has continued to slide over the past week and, while we think intervention in the foreign exchange market will remain Bank Indonesia’s primary course of action to prop up the... 18th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand: growth beats expectations, but economy set to slow Thailand’s growth accelerated in the first quarter of the year, but the economy faces growing headwinds from the conflict in Iran and the surge in global energy prices. Despite recent government... 18th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update Assessing the effects of an extreme war scenario In this Update, we explore an extreme scenario in which the Iran war escalates beyond the assumptions in our published baseline and adverse scenarios. With Brent crude jumping higher and staying at... 14th May 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Could the Iran crisis pull the plug on Asia’s chipmakers? If disruption to energy imports resulted in power shortages in South Korea or Taiwan, governments in both places would prioritise chipmakers over households so that chip production could continue to... 14th May 2026 · 3 mins read
