Asia Economics Update Singapore's economy should pick up after soft patch Today’s GDP data showed that Singapore's economy recorded a small expansion in Q3, as manufacturing output stabilised. As long as the recovery in the global economy does not falter, Singapore's growth... 14th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Dramatic fall in Indian inflation boosts calls for rate cuts Indian consumer price inflation fell to its slowest pace on record in September. With the latest data also pointing to continued weakness in the industrial sector, we remain of the view that interest... 13th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia's budget keeps it on fiscal consolidation path Malaysia's 2015 budget contained no major surprises and marked another step towards fiscal consolidation following fuel subsidy cuts earlier in the month. While the net impact of the Goods and... 13th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia's weak labour market to weigh on consumer spending A fall in employment in September, along with revisions to previous months, has left Australia's labour market looking weak, undermining hopes that stronger consumer spending can help compensate for... 9th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rates in Indonesia to remain on hold for a while yet Today’s decision by Bank Indonesia (BI) to leave interest rates on hold despite the slowing economy reflects continued unease over the size of the current account deficit. With the deficit likely to... 7th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates in Australia to remain low The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept its main policy rate on hold at 2.50% today, and again signalled that it is not planning any change in monetary policy in the near-term. Although most analysts... 7th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing recovery losing momentum The September PMIs for Emerging Asia were generally disappointing. With new orders also lacklustre, the manufacturing recovery is likely to remain uneven and slow-going. 1st October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update RBI holds rates, but cuts could soon come onto the agenda The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left its policy rates on hold today but, given the weakness of recent activity data and the fact that inflation has fallen below the central bank’s near-term target, we... 30th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Aussie and Kiwi dollars lead Asia’s currency sell-off Asia’s financial markets performed poorly in September, largely reflecting concerns about the outlook for US monetary policy. The New Zealand and Australian dollars were the worst performers, but... 30th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Financial sector woes will continue to weigh on Vietnam Today’s GDP data show that Vietnam’s economy is showing gradual signs of a recovery from the financial crisis that erupted more than three years ago. Looking ahead, the government is making some... 26th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia's fiscal consolidation to continue, drag manageable Malaysia’s government finances have traditionally stood out as a potential threat to its economic stability, but there have been notable improvements in recent years. The 2015 budget is expected to... 24th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lankan rates outlook dependent on credit growth dynamics Following last week's strong GDP figures, the central bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) kept its deposit and lending rates on hold at 6.5% and 8.0%, respectively, today. But with credit growth staying sluggish... 23rd September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rate pause in Malaysia likely to prove short-lived Although the Malaysian central bank (BNM) kept its policy rate on hold at 3.25% today, we continue to see scope for at least another 25bp hike in the coming quarters. 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand growth should stay above trend New Zealand’s economy slowed in Q2, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing after several quarters of breakneck growth. Indeed, the central bank has tightened monetary policy over the last year in an... 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand rates to stay low to support recovery With the economy showing signs of the improvement, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) unsurprisingly held its policy rate at 2.0% at its meeting today. Nonetheless, the economy is still some way away from... 17th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka to remain one of Asia's star performers Sri Lanka's economy continued to impress in the first half of 2014, and looks set to remain one of Asia's fastest growing economies. 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
