Asia Economics Update Chinese equities back at intervention levels Chinese equity prices are again scraping the levels at which many investors assume the government will intervene to provide support. In the long run though, the government’s unwillingness to step back... 10th June 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update China’s current account eases, but hot money fears remain Today’s release of China’s balance of payments figures for 2007 provides no firm answers to the question of whether hot capital inflows are flooding the country. Growth of the trade surplus has slowed... 5th June 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Corporate Japan in good shape to weather global slowdown 4th June 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia: more tightening in the pipeline Indonesia’s latest round of fuel price hikes was designed to safeguard fiscal sustainability and is therefore positive in the long run. However, a worsening near-term inflation outlook is likely to... 28th May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is India turning its back on liberalisation? A surge in populist policies and government interventions has sparked concerns that Asia’s third largest economy is turning its back on liberalisation. The moves follow on from the failure of the... 21st May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is a step revaluation of the renminbi a possibility? A large one-off revaluation of the renminbi remains highly unlikely. It would lead to job losses and give a jolt to China’s fragile financial sector. But, with officials increasingly concerned about... 21st May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is China now targeting a trade-weighted exchange rate? The renminbi’s long pause at seven to the dollar is evidence that the Chinese currency is as closely tied to the US dollar as ever. A gradual loosening of that link is likely to be the next major... 19th May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Earthquake won’t prompt looser monetary policy in China Suggestions that China’s earthquake will affect economic growth, or prompt a loosening of monetary policy, are wide of the mark. In any case, with the People’s Bank more wary than ever of the dangers... 14th May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korean rates still headed for 4.50% Today’s decision by the Bank of Korea (BoK) to hold the official 7-day repo rate at 5.00% reflected concerns about oil price-induced inflation and the still relatively high liquidity levels in the... 8th May 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Japan drops tightening bias The Bank of Japan left rates on hold today, as universally expected, but the tone of its twice-yearly “Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices” is more dovish than we at least had anticipated. In... 30th April 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian rates on hold but industry will still feel the pinch The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) defied market expectations by keeping interest rates on hold today and instead announcing another increase in the cash reserve ratio, to 8.25% (with effect from 24th... 29th April 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What next for Chinese equities? There is unlikely to be much respite for battered Chinese equity investors in the near term. Macroeconomic fundamentals suggest that the markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen may have fallen too far, but... 23rd April 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How much should we worry about Japanese consumers? Japanese consumer confidence remains near five-year lows despite a slight pick-up last month. Nonetheless, spending is holding up well. The single biggest negative for confidence is the perception... 18th April 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update China growth concerns fade, but no respite on inflation Data showing that both GDP and consumer price inflation remain strong guarantee that the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) will remain focused on tackling rising prices. Today’s decision to raise bank... 16th April 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update A bright outlook for China, and an even brighter past The fall in China’s trade surplus in the first quarter is evidence of economic strength within China, not of its vulnerability to a slowdown elsewhere. What’s more, today’s revisions to the official... 10th April 2008 · 1 min read
