Asia Economics Update Indonesia: monetary policy outlook depends on rupiah Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to leave interest rates unchanged today at 4.0% shows that it is prioritising financial stability over supporting the economy. Further easing is possible later in the... 17th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan policy rate set for an extended hold With the economy holding up relatively well, the decision by Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) to leave interest rates on hold came as no surprise. Further rate cuts are unlikely, and we expect interest... 17th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s central bank to resume easing soon Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) left its main policy rate on hold at 1.75% today, but with the economy likely to remain weak for some time to come, we doubt this marks the end of the Bank’s easing cycle. 10th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand: Slow recovery despite virus success Despite Thailand’s success in containing the coronavirus, the country is likely to record one of the biggest falls in GDP in the region this year. A collapse in tourism and a slump in automotive... 7th September 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Is Bank Indonesia’s independence under threat? Proposed changes to Bank Indonesia’s mandate, which include a shift to focus more on growth and unemployment, could lead to major changes in how the central bank operates. However, given the country’s... 2nd September 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam activity rebounding after latest virus scare The recent spike in coronavirus cases in Vietnam has had only a small negative impact on the economy. With the virus now seemingly under control again, Vietnam is still likely to be one of the few... 2nd September 2020 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Second wave impacts to differ in Korea and Japan Both Korea and Japan are experiencing second waves, but a stronger shift in consumer behaviour in Korea means the outbreak there is likely to have a larger impact on growth. As such, we’ve revised... 27th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea indicates more loosening to come The Bank of Korea (BoK) left its policy rate on hold at 0.50% today but gave hints at the press conference that fresh rate cuts were on the table. We have pencilled in a cut in Q3 as a result and are... 27th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Philippines: more rate cuts coming after “prudent pause” The central bank of the Philippines (BSP) left its main policy rate on hold at 2.25% today, but with the pandemic weighing heavily on the economy, we doubt the Bank has finished easing. 20th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update More cuts coming in Sri Lanka The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) left both its deposit and lending rates on hold at 4.50% and 5.50% respectively at its meeting today, but given the poor outlook for the economy and mounting... 20th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to resume easing soon Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.0% suggests that it is waiting to see if the recent stabilisation in the rupiah holds. Provided it does, we think further easing... 19th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Tracking Asia’s recovery The high-frequency data that we track suggest that the recovery is most advanced in China and Taiwan, with India, Indonesia and the Philippines bring up the rear. Recent virus outbreaks in Hong Kong... 12th August 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka: what does election mean for the economy? The landslide victory by Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) will allow incumbent President Rajapaksa to consolidate power. This is likely to lead to an increase in corruption and nepotism and will also... 7th August 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update What next for the Bank of Thailand? The Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.5% despite the very poor outlook for the economy suggests further rate cuts are unlikely. In its statement, the BoT hinted... 5th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Will Asia benefit from China’s strong rebound? China’s rapid economic recovery from the Global Financial Crisis did not play as big a role as is commonly assumed in supporting growth in the rest of Asia. We doubt a strong rebound in China from the... 24th July 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to cut interest rates further Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to cut interest rates today suggests that for now at least it is prioritising the economy over supporting the rupiah. We think further rate cuts are likely over the... 16th July 2020 · 3 mins read
