Asia Chart Pack Signs growth has bottomed out in Q4 Data for the past couple of months suggest that GDP growth has picked up slightly in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, growth still remains weak by historical standards. Subdued global demand will... 19th December 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update The US fiscal cliff: implications for Asia The nightmare scenario of the US Congress failing to reach a deal on the fiscal cliff would see growth in Asia’s most trade-dependent countries slow by up to 1 percentage point in 2013. 17th December 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Can Australia cope as its mining boom cools? Today’s GDP data showed that Australia, unusually for a developed economy, is continuing to grow at speed. But its mining boom is nearing its peak. In the short term, this means that growth will slow... 5th December 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia's central bank likely to cut again The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its cash rate by 25bp to 3.0% today. We expect the RBA to cut again in early 2013 to support the economy through a cooling of the mining boom. 4th December 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing stabilises, but sustained pick-up unlikely ahead Today’s PMIs suggest that conditions within most of Asia’s manufacturing sectors either stabilised or strengthened in November. While conditions could improve further over the next few months, we... 3rd December 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asian currencies undervalued, but still set to weaken Most currencies in Asia look undervalued. However, it would be wrong to conclude that Asia’s currencies are set for rapid appreciation. In 2013, we think an escalation in the euro-zone crisis will... 3rd December 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australian central bank set for a period on the sidelines The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left its cash rate at 3.25% today. Unless global conditions take a sharp turn for the worse, we now expect the RBA to remain on hold for the next year or so. We... 6th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing still stuck in the doldrums Today’s PMI data for Asia showed some small signs of improvement but overall conditions within the region’s manufacturing sectors are still very weak. The likelihood that global demand will remain... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Central banks step up policy loosening Over the past month, central banks in South Korea, Thailand, Australia and Pakistan have all cut their policy rates. The moves come in response to continued weakness in exports, which has caused GDP... 19th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia finished cutting rates The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its policy rate by 25bp to 3.25% today. We think this will mark the end of its loosening cycle, with rates set to remain on hold until late 2013. 2nd October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing recovery still some way off The September PMIs signal that manufacturing remains weak in Asia. We think that global growth will continue to struggle over the coming year or so and that, against this backdrop, manufacturing... 1st October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australian economy will cool further Australia’s economy slowed to close to its trend rate in the second quarter, after an unsustainable surge in mining investment drove strong growth in Q1. Although growth is likely to weaken again in... 5th September 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia's consumers far from immune to global problems We expect global demand to stay weak in coming quarters and for labour markets and consumer confidence in Asia to soften as a result. Central banks in the region are likely to ease further, which... 31st August 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia pauses, but one more rate cut is on the way The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its policy rate at 3.5% today. It probably won't be long until the RBA cuts again, but it is nearing the end of its loosening cycle. 7th August 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australian rates on hold, but more policy loosening to come The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its cash rate at 3.5% today, but the RBA's loosening cycle is still not over. Weakening external demand and recent falls in commodity prices will slow the... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Latest PMIs suggest Asian manufacturers are struggling The June PMIs for Asia were disappointing. With global growth set to remain weak and the situation in the euro-zone likely to worsen, we expect conditions in Asia’s manufacturing sector to remain... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read