Asia Economics Focus Is emerging Asia experiencing a property price bubble? Although Asia as a whole is not experiencing a property price bubble, we believe that prices in Hong Kong and Taipei are now in bubble territory. There is a growing risk of a sharp correction in these... 25th November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Thailand set to loosen monetary policy Thailand’s Q3 GDP data show that the economy was struggling even before the flood situation worsened in late October. With activity weak, confidence flagging and fears for the global economy... 21st November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Growth falters in Q3 With the exception of Indonesia, Q3 GDP figures published across emerging Asia so far have been weak. Exports have been hit by low demand from the West, and growing fears for the global outlook are... 17th November 2011 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Rice prices to drop sharply as Thai floods recede Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter, has lost up to a quarter of its main rice harvest due to recent floods. However, ample global stockpiles, improved harvests in other major rice producing... 11th November 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Where and why we differ from the consensus We have below-consensus forecasts for interest rates and GDP growth in emerging Asia next year. The main reason for the difference relates to our views on growth in the developed world and commodity... 7th November 2011 · 1 min read
Global Economics Focus Sovereign Debt: are the emerging markets immune? Emerging markets are not immune from the deepening debt crisis in the developed world, but most are well-placed to deal with the fallout. China faces a difficult structural transition of its own but... 21st October 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Thailand to cut next year The Bank of Thailand (BoT) kept its one-day repo rate at 3.5% today, as expected. The BoT’s concerns are rightly shifting from tackling inflation to supporting growth. Most analysts predict that the... 20th October 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia set to weaken but still outperform A slowdown in developed economies in 2012-13 is set to pull down growth in emerging Asia to a below-trend pace. However, the region’s healthy fundamentals mean that emerging Asia should once again be... 6th October 2011 · 1 min read
Commodities Update What does Thailand’s rice scheme mean for global prices? Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter, is set to introduce a generous price floor for local rice farmers, fuelling speculation that global rice prices are about to surge. However, we expect any... 22nd September 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Supply-chain disruptions temporarily hit growth Q2 GDP figures reported so far within emerging Asia have tended to be weak, with some analysts suggesting that sluggish growth in the US and euro-zone have stalled growth in Asia. This seems premature... 27th August 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Thailand's tightening cycle to end this year In spite of growing downside risks to global growth, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) raised its repo rate by 25bp to 3.5% today. The BoT’s decision-making is being heavily influenced by the outlook for... 25th August 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How bad was Q2 GDP in Thailand and elsewhere? Thailand is the latest country within emerging Asia to have reported weak GDP data for the second quarter. Nonetheless, worries that slower growth in the West has already stalled growth in Asia look... 23rd August 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Global risks may delay policy tightening Inflation remains a concern across most of the region. Central banks in Taiwan and Thailand have hiked their policy rates in recent weeks, while the central bank in Malaysia increased its reserve... 22nd July 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand’s central bank to focus on fiscal developments The Bank of Thailand (BoT) raised its repo rate by 25bp to 3.25% today, as expected. Fiscal policy is likely to be looser under the incoming government than the outgoing administration. The upshot is... 14th July 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook End of Asia’s policy tightening in sight Policy rates across Emerging Asia are likely to rise further towards pre-crisis levels in the coming months. However,tightening cycles should end next year with rates below their 2008 peaks. Most... 1st July 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand's central bank to continue raising repo rate The Bank of Thailand (BoT) hiked its policy rate by 25bp to 3.0% today, as expected. The economy grew at an above-trend pace at the start of the year, while price pressures should continue to mount in... 1st June 2011 · 1 min read