Asia Economics Update Central bank in the Philippines in no rush to adjust rates With the economy steadily gaining momentum but inflation very low, today’s decision by the central bank of the Philippines (BSP) to keep its key policy rate on hold at 4.0% came as no surprise... 23rd March 2016 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Stars align for another modest rate cut Developments over the past month have paved the way for the Reserve Bank of India to deliver another modest interest rate cut in its April meeting. For a start, the finance ministry pledged to... 23rd March 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update External position continues to strengthen The narrowing in India's current account deficit in Q4 2015, along with the pick-up in foreign direct investment inflows, supports our view that the country's external position will remain far less a... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Markets regain their poise India's financial markets have rallied over the past couple of weeks following a terrible start to the year. The rupee has strengthened, while local equities have made significant gains. Meanwhile... 21st March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore housing: a bubble deflated Property prices in Singapore have fallen for ten consecutive quarters and we expect the slide to continue. The gradual deflation of what had looked like a potential housing bubble has left the economy... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Investment activity showing tentative signs of improvement The government’s plans to boost capital expenditure should help sustain the recent tentative pick-up in investment activity. But slow movement on the reform front means that a spectacular rebound is... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Financial Risk Monitor Recent improvement in EM sentiment backed by fundamentals The risk of a systemic EM financial crisis remains low. Our CERI suggests that financial vulnerabilities across the emerging world are much smaller now than at the time of previous crises and have... 17th March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia cuts again, easing cycle nearing end A rebounding currency, subdued economic growth and inflation, and the Fed’s dovishness yesterday all fed into Bank Indonesia’s decision to cut its main policy rate for the third time in as many months... 17th March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What’s gone wrong in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka’s request for an IMF loan should ease fears about a potential balance of payments crisis, but the mistakes that put the country in this position will need to be addressed. Most importantly... 16th March 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Lower import bill to keep trade deficit in check India’s monthly trade deficit narrowed in February to its smallest since September 2013. With a number of factors likely to keep commodity imports in check, the overall current account position is... 16th March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Sri Lanka GDP (Q4) Today’s GDP figures suggest Sri Lanka’s economy slowed sharply in the fourth quarter of 2015. However, we would be wary of reading too much into the data, given the serious doubts that remain over the... 15th March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor EM trade fears overdone The latest trade figures have reignited fears about the health of emerging markets. But while EM trade growth has slowed in recent years, we see little reason for alarm. 15th March 2016 · 1 min read
India Data Response Consumer Prices (Feb.) Indian consumer price inflation dropped in February as food price pressures abated. However, the RBI still faces a difficult task in meeting its inflation targets for the next two years. 14th March 2016 · 1 min read
India Data Response Wholesale Prices (Feb.) Wholesale price inflation held steady in February, but we think that it will return to positive territory over the next couple of months. 14th March 2016 · 1 min read
India Data Response Industrial Production (Jan.) Today’s industrial production data suggest that output has continued to contract at the start of this year. The continued struggles of industry cast a dark cloud over the Modi government’s efforts to... 11th March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Better times ahead for Asian currencies After a few years of heavy declines, Asian currencies have started to make up some lost ground against the US dollar. We think other forecasters are being too negative in expecting the region’s... 11th March 2016 · 1 min read
