Asia Economics Update Philippines economy likely to rebound from Q1 slowdown GDP growth in the Philippines slowed in Q1, but the breakdown of the data was more encouraging than the headline numbers. The outlook remains upbeat. We expect a rebound over the coming quarters... 29th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s current account deficit likely to widen, but gradually India’s current account deficit fell to its lowest level in five years last quarter. Looking ahead, the deficit looks set to widen as imports are likely to rise on the back of an economic recovery and... 27th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand's political crisis won't hurt the rest of the region Thailand's protracted political crisis has damaged the domestic economy, but there are few signs of contagion to the rest of the region. Some of its neighbours may even stand to benefit. 26th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thai coup restores short-term stability at long-term cost Thailand’s coup should reduce uncertainty in the near term and so may well be welcomed by financial markets. But it brings lasting resolution of the political conflict no closer and further undermines... 22nd May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Will India’s central bank stand in the way of a stronger rupee? With India’s economy set to benefit from the stability provided by the first single-party majority government since the 1980s, an influx of foreign investment should push the rupee higher against the... 21st May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is Thailand’s crisis any nearer to being resolved? Contrary to some of the initial commentary, we are not convinced that the military’s imposition of martial law has brought resolution of Thailand’s political crisis any closer. There are a number of... 21st May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update External outlook upbeat for Singapore Today’s GDP data showed that Singapore's economy started the year better than previously thought. Recovering demand from advanced economies should support growth for the rest of 2014. 20th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand’s economic prospects hinge on political situation Prolonged political uncertainty in Thailand has clearly taken a heavy toll on the economy, which contracted in the first quarter of the year. Unless a resolution to the political crisis is found soon... 19th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Strong BJP mandate could be a game-changer for India For the first time in 30 years, it appears that a national government in India will be free from the chains of coalition politics, giving it a strong platform from which to launch much-needed economic... 16th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s strong GDP growth raises scope for rate hikes Malaysia’s growth picked up strongly in the first quarter of 2014, reinforcing our view that the central bank (BNM) is likely to begin raising its policy rate at its next meeting in July. Although... 16th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s wholesale inflation eases, but RBI unlikely to budge India’s wholesale price inflation dipped unexpectedly last month, but this is unlikely to persuade the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to abandon its hawkish stance on monetary policy any time soon. 15th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Tight fiscal policy another reason to expect Australian slowdown Australia's budget included a range of measures to rein in the fiscal deficit. The shift to tighter fiscal policy comes at a time when the economy is growing below trend and is facing a sharp fall in... 14th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s next government forced to build on sluggish economy As voting in India’s general election draws to a close today, another batch of disappointing data has underlined the economic challenges that will face the new government. 12th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is the Korean won overvalued? Fears that a strong won will undermine Korea’s export competitiveness look overdone. If anything, the won looks slightly undervalued, while prospects for the country’s exporters are better than they... 12th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rates in Korea to remain on hold until 2015 With the economic recovery gaining momentum, but inflationary pressures still low, the Bank of Korea’s (BoK) decision to keep interest rates on hold came as no surprise. We think interest rates will... 9th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia on the verge of tightening monetary policy Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) opted to keep its policy rate at 3.0% today, but the case for monetary tightening is building, and we think BNM could hike rates as early as its next meeting in July. 8th May 2014 · 1 min read
