Asia Chart Pack What is behind the recent currency weakness? Sizeable falls in a number of Asian currencies against the US dollar over the past month have rekindled unwelcome memories of last summer’s “Taper Tantrum”. As was the case during last year’s sell-off... 23rd September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rate pause in Malaysia likely to prove short-lived Although the Malaysian central bank (BNM) kept its policy rate on hold at 3.25% today, we continue to see scope for at least another 25bp hike in the coming quarters. 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian financial markets higher, but political risks weigh on Pakistan Most of Asia’s stock markets and currencies strengthened in August. The key exception is Pakistan, where political uncertainty has returned to the fore. 28th August 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Emerging Asia has less to fear from Fed tightening The trend over the past year in most of Emerging Asia has been towards bigger current account surpluses or smaller deficits. This should make their currencies less vulnerable to any negative shifts in... 21st August 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Strong Malaysian economy can withstand more rate hikes Malaysia's economy accelerated for the fifth straight quarter in Q2, supported by strong export growth. Although Malaysia’s headline growth rate is likely to drop off in the second half of the year as... 15th August 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Does Korea need lower interest rates? A sharp slowdown in the Korean economy last quarter and dovish rhetoric from the central bank has raised expectations that interest rates will be cut at Thursday’s scheduled policy meeting. With the... 11th August 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Consumer spending in Emerging Asia set for recovery Emerging Asia’s consumers have been struggling in recent months. Tight labour markets and improving growth prospects point to some pick-up going forward, but high levels of household debt in a number... 4th August 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia's financial markets recover on the back of election results Most of the region's currencies and equity markets fared well over the past month. In particular, Joko Widodo's presidential election victory in July helped Indonesia's financial markets stage a... 31st July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Property price worries prompt rate hikes The central banks of New Zealand, the Philippines and Malaysia all tightened monetary policy last month amid signs that policymakers are becoming increasingly concerned that loose monetary policy is... 30th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How much do commodities matter to Malaysia? As one of the region's few net commodity exporters, there are some concerns that Malaysia is vulnerable to a fall in commodity prices. But Malaysia is not as dependent on commodities as is often... 18th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update More rate hikes in the pipeline for Malaysia Amid rising concerns over the stability of the financial sector, Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) today hiked its policy rate for the first time in three years. With the economy in good shape, we see... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Weaker credit growth to weigh on region Most countries in Emerging Asia should record reasonable growth over the next couple of years, helped by a combination of supportive monetary policy and a pick-up in demand from advanced economies... 4th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand’s financial markets recover, while Indonesia’s falter Reduced political tensions in Thailand have boosted its stock market and the baht. But in Indonesia, growing uncertainty over the result of July’s presidential election has weighed on financial... 30th June 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea will struggle to overcome its demographic drag Korea has some of the worst demographic dynamics in Emerging Asia. Not only is the population set to age dramatically, but the size of the overall workforce is also set to fall sharply. Although the... 30th June 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Indonesian rupiah back in the spotlight An easing of financial conditions across the global economy has given support to most currencies in Emerging Asia, which have generally been appreciating against the US dollar over the past few months... 25th June 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Are higher oil prices a threat to Asia? A sharp rise in oil prices as a result of the crisis in Iraq would have negative effects on Emerging Asia. While the inflationary impact is likely to be manageable, most Asian economies are net... 24th June 2014 · 1 min read
