Asia Economics Update New Zealand set for prolonged rate pause The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate at 3.5% today and suggested rates will be left on hold for some time. We doubt the central bank will raise rates again before Q3 of next... 11th December 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand's next rate hike looking more distant The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate at 3.5% today for the second meeting in a row. Subdued inflation, slowing growth and the strength of the New Zealand dollar all suggest that... 30th October 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Aussie and Kiwi dollars lead Asia’s currency sell-off Asia’s financial markets performed poorly in September, largely reflecting concerns about the outlook for US monetary policy. The New Zealand and Australian dollars were the worst performers, but... 30th September 2014 · 1 min read
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 New Zealand growth should stay above trend New Zealand’s economy slowed in Q2, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing after several quarters of breakneck growth. Indeed, the central bank has tightened monetary policy over the last year in an... 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand rate pause unlikely to last for long The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate at 3.5% at its meeting today, pausing a hiking cycle that began in March. The RBNZ will wait to see the effects of previous hikes, but we... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Property price bubbles a key risk There are signs property prices are coming off the boil in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. That said, prices in these three economies still look significantly overvalued, and a slump in prices... 5th 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 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 Update New Zealand rates to go on pause after latest hike The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) raised its policy rate by 25bp for the fourth straight meeting today, but signalled that it may now stay on hold for a while. We still expect one more rate hike... 24th 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 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
