Asia Economics Weekly Equities jump, exports resilient, BoK points to rate hike Asian equities have rebounded over the past week, helped in part by easing fears of a global trade war after the successful trade meeting between US President Donald Trump and EU President Jean-Claude... 27th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Korea GDP (Q2) Korea’s economy slowed in Q2, and mounting external and domestic headwinds suggest growth is likely to ease further over the coming quarters. 26th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea’s minimum wage policy backfiring The decision earlier this week to raise the hourly minimum wage by a further 11% next year will undermine President Moon Jae-in’s goal to reduce inequality and boost private consumption growth. 20th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Malaysia CPI (Jun) The removal of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) was the key reason behind the sharp fall in inflation in Malaysia last month. Although inflation is likely to remain low for the rest of the year, we... 18th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Philippines infrastructure drive: too much, too fast? The big push to update the Philippine’s infrastructure has led to a number of painful side effects, including a worsening external position, a falling currency and an increase in inflation. However... 17th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan hikes rates aggressively, more action to come The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) 100bp hike to its policy rate on Saturday, along with today’s devaluation of the rupee, underlines growing concerns about the country’s precarious external position... 16th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Trade war risks rise, but no panic yet Despite the further escalation in trade tensions between the US and China over the past week, there is little sign that policymakers are starting to panic. 13th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Singapore GDP (Q2 Advanced) Today’s advanced estimate of Singapore’s GDP suggests the economy lost some momentum in Q2, and we expect growth to cool further in the coming quarters against a backdrop of slower global growth and... 13th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea holds rates, imminent tightening unlikely The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate on hold at 1.50% today, and while there was a dissenter favouring a rate hike, rising downside growth risks, benign inflation and limited external... 12th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update The impact of Trump’s China tariffs on the rest of Asia US plans to impose tariffs on an additional $200bn of Chinese imports represent a marked escalation of the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. The tariffs would have knock-on effects on... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Trade war not the only headwind to Asian growth In the event that rising trade tensions lead to a significant fall in US imports from China, it would have a sizeable impact, not just on China, but also on other countries such as Taiwan and Malaysia... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: rates on hold and likely to stay there Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) left interest rates unchanged at today’s scheduled monetary policy meeting, but it shifted to a more dovish tone under its new governor. While we are forecasting no... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Malaysia: China investment freeze to weigh on growth The Malaysian government’s decision earlier this week to suspend work on the US$20bn East Coast Railway Link points to a bleak future for Chinese investment in the country. Halting work on these... 6th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Jun.) The June PMIs for Emerging Asia indicate that the region’s manufacturing sectors remained in decent health. Meanwhile, Korean export data suggest export growth in the rest of the region likely ended... 2nd July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Election worries in Indonesia, delays in Thailand The strong showing of opposition parties in local elections held across Indonesia on Wednesday is bad news for President Joko Widodo. They could prompt a shift in policymaking towards more populist... 29th June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Vietnam GDP (Q2) Vietnam’s economy recorded another quarter of strong growth in the second quarter of the year. While growth should remain robust in the near term, helped by continued solid export demand and loose... 29th June 2018 · 1 min read
