Global Economics Update Scenarios for the Iran war & the macro impact This note assesses the macro and commodity‑market implications of three potential scenarios for the Iran war. In the most benign – a severe but short‑lived conflict – the effects on GDP, inflation and... 10th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Is Asia running on empty with LNG? Asian economies vary in how dependent they are on LNG from the Gulf – for China and Japan, dependence is low, while Pakistan, Taiwan and Korea have much higher exposure. Low domestic inventories leave... 10th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update Modelling the scale of the energy market disruption This Update introduces our framework for estimating the scale of disruption to energy flows from events in the Middle East as well as three scenarios about how the conflict could play out from here... 9th March 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Update The fiscal cost from a resumption of energy subsidies Should the price of Brent crude oil spike to $90-100pb in the wake of the Iran war, the government could plausibly lift its energy subsidies by as much as 0.7% of GDP. While that would contribute to a... 3rd March 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update The Iran shock and Asia As net energy importers, most economies in Asia are worse off and facing higher inflation as a result of the attacks on Iran. But oil prices would have to rise much further than they have so far – to... 2nd March 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update The consequences of the Middle East conflict The global economic impact of conflict in the Middle East will hinge on its effect on energy markets. If oil stays near $70-$80 per barrel, DM inflation will be only about 0.2-0.3 percentage points... 2nd March 2026 · 8 mins read
Japan Economics Update Japan has got 99 problems but investment isn’t one PM Takaichi is misdiagnosing what’s holding back Japan’s economy. This means that rather than boosting Japan’s long-term growth potential, her policies may instead unleash a wave of wasteful public... 24th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update New US tariff regime will rejig Asian electronics trade Trump’s new 15% global tariff rate reduces the tariff burden on most Asian countries, but the biggest winner is China. It still faces a higher tariff than countries elsewhere in the region, but the... 23rd February 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Your questions on Japan’s snap elections answered Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has secured the largest victory for her LDP in post-war history in yesterday’s snap election. This Update answers the questions most frequently asked by clients. We will... 9th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update How much of a buffer do government assets provide? Japan’s government holds more financial assets than governments elsewhere. While the value of the government’s domestic asset holdings could plunge during a crisis, a large share is invested overseas... 5th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Using GPIF to stabilise JGB market not a panacea Shifting the asset allocation of Japan’s largest pension fund back towards domestic bonds could help stabilise the JGB market should yields start to surge again. However, it would come at a sizeable... 28th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan will lift rates to 1.75% by next year The BoJ turned more upbeat when it left policy settings unchanged today and there’s a risk that the next rate hike will come earlier than our current forecast of July. And despite the recent surge in... 23rd January 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update How would Japan respond to a further surge in yields? Should JGB yields continue to surge, PM Takaichi may be forced to offset some of the expansionary fiscal measures announced recently with tightening elsewhere. However, those moves may not be seen as... 21st January 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Is PM Takaichi creating her own Liz Truss moment? Our base case remains that Japan will avoid a fiscal crisis as its public debt dynamics are more favourable than is widely understood. However, there are mounting risks that PM Takaichi will only rein... 19th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Snap elections won’t result in major fiscal loosening While the ruling LDP/Ishin No Kai coalition will probably enhance its majority in the upcoming Lower House elections, we aren’t convinced that this will herald a further major loosening of fiscal... 15th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Has Japan become a leading ICT economy? While Japanese firms seem to be investing more in information & communication technology than those in almost any other advanced economy, broader measures suggest that the country is not a leading... 6th January 2026 · 3 mins read
