Asia Economics Weekly Stimulus in Thailand, Korean inflation under control Thailand is launching a 400bn baht (2% of GDP) stimulus to cut living costs and boost renewables, though the spending risks pushing public debt towards—and potentially through—the government’s 70% of... 8th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Capital Daily Tech stocks versus oil, bonds versus central banks Tech stocks have continued to power ahead despite renewed concerns around the war, but we don’t think they’re completely immune to it. Meanwhile, central bank inaction could be a threat to bond... 5th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Will Korean consumers continue to shrug off energy spike? March retail sales in Korea rose strongly in both m/m and y/y terms, suggesting households have largely shrugged off the Middle East crisis, with inflation kept in check despite higher global energy... 1st May 2026 · 8 mins read
Capital Daily What to make of the recent surge in semiconductors? This month’s surge in semiconductor share indices mainly seems to reflect signs of growing demand for CPUs used for AI inference and a related need for more high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. 28th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor (Apr. 2026) Our measure of EM capital flows suggests that outflows eased over the course of this month, helped by the US-Iran ceasefire announcement. Perhaps more importantly, EM external balance sheets look... 28th April 2026 · 0 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea: chips and policy support to cushion energy hit Korea’s economy rebounded strongly in the first quarter of the year, on the back of very strong demand for semiconductors. And while strong exports and policy support are likely to support growth this... 23rd April 2026 · 4 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 Update BoK on hold as Middle East risks clouds outlook The Bank of Korea kept its policy rate on hold today at 2.50%, and hinted that it would be in no rush to adjust monetary policy settings anytime soon as it continues to monitor the impact of the... 10th April 2026 · 3 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 Update Are generous cash handouts the answer to low fertility? There is some evidence that generous cash subsidies to new parents have lifted the fertility rate in Korea. But it is not clear whether similar policies would have the same impact in countries where... 31st March 2026 · 6 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor (Mar. 2026) Our measure of EM capital flows points to larger outflows from emerging market assets since the start of the Middle East conflict than during the height of the pandemic. EM external positions are... 30th March 2026 · 0 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
Equities Update How much of a bubble is there really in Korean equities? While a partial unwind of earlier “excessive exuberance” may explain some of the huge swings in Korea’s equities since the Iran war began, we think the fundamentals of its earlier rally are stronger... 17th March 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Update Energy shock in Asia: policy choices ahead High energy prices and growing concerns over energy security have already prompted significant policy responses across Asia. Some governments are looking to introduce inflation-suppressing measures... 10th March 2026 · 4 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
Asia Economics Update Korea: what higher energy prices mean for inflation Inflation in Korea was muted again last month, but it would rise sharply in the event of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East that led to a sustained increase in global energy prices. Against such... 6th March 2026 · 3 mins read
