Asia Economics Weekly Bank Indonesia approaches policy dilemma Inflation has been falling across Asia, and the Q4 GDP data released so far show that growth is slowing too. For the most part, we expect these trends to continue. But Indonesia is an important... 6th February 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How long will the rebound in Asian currencies last? Most Asian currencies have risen strongly so far this year amid a recovery in global risk appetite. However, the rebound is unlikely to last long. We are of the opinion that the euro-zone will slip... 30th January 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Inflation has further to fall Inflation rose sharply in 2011 as a whole relative to 2010 across the region. However, we expect below-trend growth and lower commodity prices to pull down inflation significantly this year. With... 23rd January 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Korea to cut by mid-year The Bank of Korea (BoK) has become increasingly worried about the growth outlook, but lingering inflation concerns are dissuading the central bank from loosening policy. We believe that inflation is... 16th January 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Elections in Asia - what they mean for the region A number of important elections and leadership changes are due to take place across emerging Asia over the next 12 months. The outcomes will have implications for economic policymaking and growth... 9th January 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How bad is the outlook for Indian growth? India’s economy has slowed abruptly in the past few months and now faces a downturn comparable to that of 2008-09. However, a big difference is that the authorities now have much less scope for policy... 26th December 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Indonesia's upgrade highlights improved outlook In a good week for Indonesia, Fitch upgraded the country’s long-term sovereign debt rating to investment grade on Thursday and parliament passed a long-awaited land acquisition bill on Friday. Both... 19th December 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Will the Philippines continue to disappoint? The main cause of its weak performance has been low investment. Demographic factors should push the savings rate higher over the next decade, which should in turn support stronger investment and... 12th December 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asian currencies to remain undervalued Most Asian currencies looked weak even before the falls of the past few months. We expect them to fall further over the coming year as the euro-zone crisis intensifies. And even when global risk... 5th December 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How well will domestic demand hold up? Hopes that Asia had de-coupled from the rest of the world were dashed during the 2008-09 global crisis, as domestic demand fell almost as sharply as exports. However, there are good reasons to expect... 28th November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Recent free-trade initiatives are over-hyped The goal of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) of establishing a fully-integrated economic community by 2015, with complete free flow of goods, services and investment, is likely to... 21st November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How important are remittances for emerging Asia? Concern is growing that the ongoing debt problems in the euro-zone could lead to another global financial and economic crisis. Remittances should provide a relatively stable source of income... 14th November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Assessing the fallout from Thailand's flood disaster Thailand’s flood situation deteriorated in early November, with water breaking through defences and flowing further into Bangkok and its surrounding provinces. Agriculture, manufacturing and tourism... 7th November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How vulnerable is Asia to another financial crisis? Despite the deal agreed by European leaders last week, we are far from sanguine about prospects for the euro-zone and expect further turmoil in global financial markets. In the event of another... 31st October 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Exporters start to struggle Supply-chain disruptions and weak demand for electronics had pulled down export growth in emerging Asia even before worries about the global outlook intensified recently. But exports have fared well... 25th October 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Does Asia still have fiscal firepower? Governments in Malaysia and the Philippines have recently announced big increases in spending to support their economies. But in the event that the developed world slips back into recession, not every... 18th October 2011 · 1 min read
