Asia Economics Update Korea: July rate hike looks unlikely The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate on hold at 1.50% today, as expected, and there was nothing in the accompanying statement or the governor’s press conference that suggest the BoK will... 24th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Further hikes likely in Indonesia amid rupiah worries The performance of the rupiah will continue to determine the near-term outlook for monetary policy in Indonesia. With the currency likely to remain under downward pressure as Treasury yields in the US... 17th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: GST leaves behind a large gap to fill The decision today by the new Malaysian government to effectively abolish the Goods and Service Tax (GST) from the start of next month should provide a fiscal boost to the economy, but it will leave... 16th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand in no hurry to hike rates The Bank of Thailand unsurprisingly decided to keep its policy rate on hold today at 1.5% against a backdrop of solid economic growth and subdued inflationary pressures. There was nothing in the... 16th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka: At least one more rate cut before year-end After cutting its lending rate just a month ago, it was no surprise that the central bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) decided to leave policy on hold today. However, with inflation benign and the economic... 11th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: What next for monetary policy post-election While Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) left interest rates unchanged at today’s scheduled monetary policy meeting, the outlook for monetary policy has been thrown into considerable uncertainty following... 10th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Philippines: Aggressive tightening cycle unlikely The Philippines central bank (BSP) today hiked its key policy rate from 3.00% to 3.25%, but also left the door open to further rate increases later this year. While we think interest rates will be... 10th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What to make of Malaysia's shock election Today’s shock victory for former-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysia’s general election could have far-reaching consequences for the economy. In the near term, there is likely to be a sharp... 9th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian currencies wobble Asian currencies have recently lost a bit of ground against the dollar as rising Treasury yields in the US have helped push the greenback higher. Although uncertainty over the outlook for US monetary... 30th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Summit talks and the impact on Korea’s economy Today’s landmark summit between the two Koreas should help to remove a major tail risk for the region’s markets and economies. However, the impact on South Korea’s economy of an easing in tensions is... 27th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Further policy tightening in Singapore unlikely The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today moved to increase the slope of its nominal effective exchange rate policy band, a decision that amounts to a tightening of its policy stance. But with... 13th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s central bank in wait-and-see mode The Bank of Korea (BoK) unsurprisingly kept its policy rate on hold at 1.50% today, and the dovish tone of the governor’s press conference suggests that the BoK is likely to remain on the sidelines... 12th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Election likely to entrench Malaysia’s problems Against the backdrop of a strong economy and with gerrymandering stacking the odds firmly in his favour, Prime Minister Najib Razak is highly likely to win an election which will now take place by May... 6th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka cuts rates, loosening will be gradual The central bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) today cut its lending rate by 25bp. While further monetary policy loosening looks likely against a backdrop of weak growth and easing inflation, aggressive rate... 4th April 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian equities down on protectionist fears Fears of a trade war between the US and China have weighed on Asian equities over the past month. In contrast, currency markets have been largely unaffected. 29th March 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rates to stay on hold in Thailand With the economy in good shape and inflationary pressures subdued, the Bank of Thailand unsurprisingly decided to keep its policy rate on hold today at 1.5%. The accompany statement reiterated that... 28th March 2018 · 1 min read
