Asia Economics Weekly Who will hike rates next? Korea’s chip boom The Philippines raised interest rates this week due to rising inflation concerns, and we think Pakistan could follow at its upcoming meeting on Monday given inflation is already above target and... 24th April 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Jakarta & Manila unlikely to follow Singapore in tightening The Monetary Authority of Singapore tightened its policy stance this week, but we doubt that central banks in Indonesia and the Philippines will follow suit next week – both are likely to keep rates... 17th April 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia inflation: mostly benign, Philippines the outlier Inflation across most of Asia remains well contained, as subsidies and administrative price controls help cushion the impact of higher energy prices. The Philippines stands out as a key exception... 10th April 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Manufacturers hit, Korean outflows, BOK and RBI meetings The March PMIs show that the energy shock appears to be hitting manufacturers in Asia, though it is more evident in higher input prices than in falling activity. Meanwhile, foreign outflows from Korea... 2nd April 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Challenging inheritance for new Bank of Korea governor Incoming Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-song brings formidable credentials and his appointment will reassure investors unsettled by high debt levels in Korea and the jump in property prices in Seoul... 27th March 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Energy shockwaves: Asia first in the line of fire We have revised our forecasts to incorporate higher energy prices, assuming Brent averages close to US$100 per barrel in Q2 before easing to around US$80 by year-end. Given Asia’s heavy reliance on... 20th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia: how will central banks respond to high energy prices? Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the two central banks in Asia most likely to raise rates if energy prices remain elevated for a prolonged period. In contrast, Taiwan and Korea will be in little hurry to... 13th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly A stagflationary shock for Asia Higher oil prices from the Middle East conflict would act as a terms-of-trade shock for Asia’s largely energy-importing economies, squeezing households and firms and slowing growth. Inflation would... 6th March 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly IEEPA ruling, Taiwan’s surging surplus Recent US tariff adjustments have led to a fall in rates for Asian countries, and on average they remain lower than China’s. However, the relative advantage over Chinese manufacturers has diminished... 27th February 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Thailand to cut again, Asia and the AI boom We will be holding an online briefing on Wednesday to discuss the region’s long-term economic outlook out until 2050. You can register by clicking here. We expect the Bank of Thailand to cut rates at... 20th February 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore’s AI budget, election round-up Singapore’s 2026 budget, which was announced on Thursday, signals a modest fiscal loosening for the coming year. The budget also placed significant emphasis on positioning the economy for the AI... 13th February 2026 · 8 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Indonesia’s GDP rebound, Asian elections in focus Q4 GDP growth in Indonesia surprised on the upside at 5.4% y/y, the fastest pace since 2022 and a rare break from the strikingly narrow growth range seen over the past two years. However, given... 6th February 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly How a weaker US dollar affects Asia The US dollar has weakened sharply this year, but the move remains too small so far to have a meaningful macro impact. Even if dollar weakness were to persist, the effects on Asia should be limited... 30th January 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Vietnam Congress, Korean equities, Bangladesh election Vietnam’s 14th Party Congress concluded today with the swift reappointment of To Lam to a full five-year term. His continuation in office should support a return to greater political stability and... 23rd January 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Taiwan: US trade deal and TSMC earnings add to optimism The trade deal struck between Taiwan and the US, alongside another bumper earnings report from TSMC, strengthens our conviction that Taiwan will record another year of rapid GDP growth in 2026. 16th January 2026 · 8 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines budget, Vietnam booming, geopolitical shifts The Philippines’ 2026 fiscal budget, recently approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr., points to a sharp fall in infrastructure spending as the corruption scandal continues to weigh on the economy... 9th January 2026 · 6 mins read
