Asia Economics Update More cuts coming in Sri Lanka The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) left both its deposit and lending rates on hold at 4.50% and 5.50% respectively at its meeting today, but given the poor outlook for the economy and mounting... 20th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to resume easing soon Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.0% suggests that it is waiting to see if the recent stabilisation in the rupiah holds. Provided it does, we think further easing... 19th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Tracking Asia’s recovery The high-frequency data that we track suggest that the recovery is most advanced in China and Taiwan, with India, Indonesia and the Philippines bring up the rear. Recent virus outbreaks in Hong Kong... 12th August 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka: what does election mean for the economy? The landslide victory by Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) will allow incumbent President Rajapaksa to consolidate power. This is likely to lead to an increase in corruption and nepotism and will also... 7th August 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update What next for the Bank of Thailand? The Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.5% despite the very poor outlook for the economy suggests further rate cuts are unlikely. In its statement, the BoT hinted... 5th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Will Asia benefit from China’s strong rebound? China’s rapid economic recovery from the Global Financial Crisis did not play as big a role as is commonly assumed in supporting growth in the rest of Asia. We doubt a strong rebound in China from the... 24th July 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to cut interest rates further Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to cut interest rates today suggests that for now at least it is prioritising the economy over supporting the rupiah. We think further rate cuts are likely over the... 16th July 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea stands pat, but more action still likely The Bank of Korea (BoK) left its policy rate on hold at 0.50% today and while it did not unveil any further unconventional policy measures, the Bank gave hints it could employ them in future. With... 16th July 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka opts for 100bps cut, more easing likely The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) cut both its deposit and lending rates by 100bps to 4.50% and 5.50% respectively at its meeting today, and given the poor outlook for the economy, we think the... 9th July 2020 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update More easing to come from Malaysia’s central bank Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) cut its main policy rate by 25bps to 1.75% today, and with the economic recovery still in its infancy, we doubt this marks the end of the central bank’s easing cycle. 7th July 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Philippines: more rate cuts coming The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) today cut its policy rate by a larger-than-expected 50bps, to 2.25%, and with economic activity unlikely to recover fully anytime soon, we expect further... 25th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update What will the Bank of Thailand do next? The Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.5% today despite the dire outlook for the economy suggests that further cuts to the policy rate are unlikely. Instead, the... 24th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan keeps rates on hold, but easing likely to resume Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) kept its policy rate on hold today at 1.125%, but given the poor outlook for the economy, we think it will cut again soon. 18th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to ease further Bank Indonesia (BI) cut interest rates today for the first time in three months, but the modest 25bp cut suggests that it remains worried about the outlook for the rupiah. Given the bleak growth... 18th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Tracking the recovery The high-frequency data that we track suggest that while all countries in the region are now rebounding, the pace of recovery varies significantly. The recovery is most advanced in China, Taiwan and... 17th June 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Further signs of improvement in Korea Despite the sharp rise in the unemployment rate last month, there are signs that the Korean labour market has turned a corner. This adds to evidence that the economy has now bottomed out. 10th June 2020 · 2 mins read
