Asia Economics Update Malaysia in no rush to cut rates despite low inflation Inflation in Malaysia looks set to remain low despite the introduction of a 6% Goods and Service Tax (GST), which came into force at the start of April. Although subdued inflation will give the... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand one year on from the coup One year on from the military coup in Thailand, political order has been restored and the economy has returned to growth. But with the country no closer to a lasting solution to its long-running... 21st May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rate cuts before year-end likely in Indonesia Bank Indonesia (BI) today left its main policy rate on hold at 7.50%, but relaxed macro prudential policy in a bid to support the weak economy. We expect interest rates to be eased later in the year... 19th May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea's rate-cutting cycle is over The Bank of Korea (BoK) today left its policy rate unchanged at a record low of 1.75% amid concerns about the rapid increase in Korea's household debt. We think the BoK’s rate-cutting cycle has now... 15th May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Philippines in no rush to adjust monetary policy The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) left interest rates on hold today. With the economy set to continue growing at a decent pace, the Philippines is unlikely to join in the region’s interest... 14th May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s rate pause to continue through 2015 The Malaysian central bank (BNM) kept its policy rate on hold at 3.25% today. The key uncertainty in the months ahead is how spending reacts to April’s tax hike. As things stand though, we expect... 7th May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam’s dong devaluation not about export competitiveness Today’s 1% devaluation of the dong by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) is unlikely to provide much of a boost to exports, as some have suggested. Looking ahead, we are only expecting minor adjustments... 7th May 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian currencies regain lost ground Most currencies in Emerging Asia recovered some ground against the US dollar in April as investors pushed back their expectations for rate hikes in the US. Equity markets also started the month... 30th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Thailand to adopt wait-and-see stance Against a backdrop of weak growth, negative inflation and government pressure for further easing, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) cut its policy rate by 25 basis points for the second straight meeting... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Not all gloom and doom for Korea's economy The recent run of weak data has increased pessimism about the Korean economy, as reflected by a string of downgrades to its 2015 growth forecasts. But while the consensus now expects growth to soften... 21st April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka cuts rates to new lows, door opened for more Against a backdrop of falling inflation, the central bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) today cut its deposit and lending policy rates by 50 basis points each, to 6.0% and 7.5%, respectively. 15th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to cut rates again before end-2015 Bank Indonesia (BI) left its main policy rate on hold today at 7.5% despite the continued weakness of the economy. Although much will depend on what happens to the rupiah, we expect to see interest... 14th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Singapore is finished with policy loosening The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today decided to make no changes to its policy stance, despite the current bout of deflation and downbeat GDP growth in the first quarter. Concerns about the... 14th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rising financial risks to deter aggressive rate cuts in Korea The Bank of Korea (BoK) held its policy rate at 1.75% today, following a rate cut last month. The slow pace of recovery has raised speculation of further monetary policy loosening, but we think... 9th April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Currencies and equity markets drop back Most equity markets and currencies in Emerging Asia fell last month, although in the majority of cases the declines were relatively small. 1st April 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is a weak rupiah a threat to Indonesia? Policymakers in Indonesia should welcome, rather than fear, a weaker rupiah. Not only is foreign currency debt relatively low, but there is little sign that a fall in the currency is pushing up... 31st March 2015 · 1 min read
