Asia Economics Update Will Asia follow the Fed? The first rate hike in the US looks set to take place sooner rather than later. But local factors, not theactions of the US Federal Reserve, will determine the next moves by Asia’s central banks. 15th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan’s central bank has lost sight of the medium term The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) responded to the latest fall in headline inflation by cutting interest rates again over the weekend. The SBP’s aggressive series of rate cuts during the last year... 14th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia to hold rates amid balancing act The decision to keep interest rates on hold today at 3.25% reflects the difficult balancing act facing the Malaysian central bank (BNM) as it continues to grapple with the problems caused by slowing... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Financial stability risks to keep Bank of Korea on hold The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate unchanged at a record low of 1.50% today as fears over the possible implications of Fed tightening offset worries about the recent weakness of the economy... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand’s economic struggles to continue Thailand’s economy started the second half of 2015 on a weak note, and while the recently announced fiscal stimulus package should help support demand, it is unlikely to be a game-changer. Rising... 3rd September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is Bank Indonesia too soft on inflation? Bank Indonesia’s poor record in meeting its inflation target has led to claims that it is being too soft on inflation. We believe such claims are wrong, and continue to think inflation will drop back... 1st September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian markets bear brunt of China-led sell-off Asian financial markets have been at the centre of the recent financial market turmoil that was triggered by fears about the health of the Chinese economy. The sell-off has raised concerns that a... 31st August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update 1MDB scandal highlights problems that hold Malaysia back The scandal over 1MDB is not the biggest threat to Malaysia’s short-term economic outlook or the main cause of the recent collapse in the ringgit. However, it does shine a light on institutional... 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Five questions and answers about the market sell-off A sense of panic gripped Asian markets today, creating concerns over the outlook for the region’s economies. In this Update we answer five questions that have been raised by the market moves. 24th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Dong devaluation not part of Asian currency war Although today’s decision by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to devalue the dong by a further 1% against the US dollar and widen the trading band was in part linked to China’s devaluation of the... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bombings add to Thailand’s economic and political concerns The bombings in Thailand’s capital present a new downside risk to the country’s economic outlook. Not only are the attacks a blow to the important tourism sector, they also add to concerns about... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka’s elections unlikely to end political uncertainty Financial markets are likely to welcome the re-election of Ranil Wickremasinghe as Sri Lanka’s prime minister. However, with the new prime minister likely to have to govern as part of a coalition... 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates in the Philippines to remain on hold for a while yet The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) today left its policy rate on hold at 4.0%. With growth set ton recover in the coming quarters, but inflation likely to remain low, we think the central bank... 13th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korean rates to stay on hold for a while yet The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate unchanged at a record low of 1.50% today, despite talk of a fresh round of "currency wars" across Asia following the People's Bank of China's decision to... 13th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Talk of a fresh round of Asian "currency wars" is overblown The second downward revision to the People‘s Bank of China‘s daily reference rate for the renminbi has today intensified talk that a fresh round of “currency wars“ is about to sweep across Asia. We... 12th August 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Too soon to call the end of Thailand’s easing cycle The Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) kept its policy rate on hold at 1.5% today, but with the economy still struggling for momentum, we think it is still too early to call the end of the easing cycle. We... 5th August 2015 · 1 min read
