Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia unlikely to cut rates despite poor growth outlook Despite the relatively poor growth outlook, Bank Indonesia (BI) left its key policy rate on hold at 4.75% today. With inflation set to rise over the coming months and the rupiah vulnerable to sudden... 20th April 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia in no rush to hike rates despite further rise in inflation Consumer price inflation in Malaysia accelerated to a new eight-year high in March, but we see little prospect of a rate hike any time soon. 19th April 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea holds rates, prolonged pause likely The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate unchanged at 1.25% today, and with the economy starting to show signs of improvement and underlying price pressures benign, we think the BoK will maintain... 13th April 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Monetary policy in Singapore to stay on hold With the growth outlook improving and inflation likely to remain fairly subdued, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which today left its monetary policy settings unchanged, is likely to be in... 13th April 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How big are the economic risks from the crisis in North Korea? There remains huge uncertainty as to how the growing crisis in North Korea will play out. Although war is likely to remain a last resort, the risk of some kind of military action is clearly growing... 12th April 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Currencies and equities record further gains Asian currencies have gained ground against the US dollar over the past month as investors have pushed back their expectations on the number of interest rate rises in the US this year. Most Asian... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates to stay low in Thailand With the economy showing signs of recovery and inflation back within its target band, the Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) decision to leave interest rates on hold at 1.50% today came as no surprise. Looking... 29th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka hikes rates, further tightening likely Today’s 25bp rate hike by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is unlikely to be the last in the current tightening cycle. A combination of rapid credit growth, rising inflation and a weakening... 24th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Improving economy means further rate cuts in Taiwan unlikely The decision by Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) to keep its policy rate on hold today at 1.375% came as no surprise given the recent rebound in the economy. With inflationary pressures still very weak, we... 23rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Philippines to keep rates on hold this year Today’s decision by the central bank in the Philippines (BSP) to keep its main policy rate on hold at 3.0% had been widely expected. Looking ahead, while a growing number of analysts are predicting... 23rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia holds again, rates unlikely to change this year Bank Indonesia (BI) left interest rates on hold today and struck a cautious tone in its statement which followed the meeting. Looking ahead, we think that worries about inflation and concerns about... 16th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asia will not follow the Fed’s lead For most economies in Emerging Asia it will be local factors, not the actions of the US Federal Reserve, which will determine the next moves by the region’s central banks. 16th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update China’s retaliation to THAAD adds to economic risks in Korea Chinese retaliation over South Korea’s plans to deploy a US anti-missile defence system (THAAD) is an added concern for Korea’s already struggling economy. While the overall impact could be quite... 9th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s political crisis approaching crucial phase Korea’s political crisis is approaching a key phase as the Constitutional Court prepares to rule on whether to officially impeach President Park Geun-hye. Park’s formal impeachment would increase the... 7th March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates in Malaysia to stay on hold for the rest of the year With the economy gaining momentum, it was no surprise that Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.0% today. Looking ahead, we expect BNM to keep interest rates steady for... 2nd March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Stocks rise, currencies and bond yields steady While most equity markets in the region rose for the second straight month in February, Asian currencies and bond yields largely held steady. Most Asian equity markets have recorded decent gains over... 28th February 2017 · 1 min read
