Asia Economics Update Korean scandal a blow for the president, but not the economy The corruption scandal which has engulfed Korea over the weekend is a major blow to the authority of President Park Geun-hye. The economic impact, however, is likely to prove quite small. 31st October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Shift away from US could damage Philippines’ economy The Philippines’ shift towards closer ties with China is unlikely to bring many economic benefits to the country. And by upsetting the US there is a risk that President Duterte undermines a much more... 21st October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Further easing set to be gradual as Bank Indonesia cuts again Today’s decision by Bank Indonesia (BI) to reduce its main policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.75% is unlikely to mark the end of its rate cutting cycle. However, further loosening is likely to be... 20th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Assessing the economic fallout from Samsung’s problems The recent problems at Samsung Electronics, which culminated in last week’s decision to scrap production of its premium Note 7 smartphone, could shave around 0.1-0.2% percentage points off GDP growth... 17th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Monetary policy in Singapore to stay unchanged for some time The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today left its monetary policy settings unchanged, having loosened policy at its last meeting in April. With the economy set to exit deflation over the coming... 14th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update King’s death casts shadow over Thailand The death of Thailand’s highly-revered king will plunge the country into a state of mourning, and also deep political uncertainty. There is a risk that political tensions flare up, triggering a... 13th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korean rates to stay on prolonged hold The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate unchanged at 1.25% today, and while the consensus expects another rate cut in the coming months, we think rising concerns about Korea’s high household debt... 13th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Poor health of the king is the key risk to Thai growth outlook The worsening health of the King of Thailand poses a key risk to the country’s economy. His death would plunge the country back into political crisis, which in turn could push the economy into... 10th October 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan’s central bank to resume easing cycle next year Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) kept its policy rate on hold today at 1.375%, but with growth likely to remain subdued and inflationary pressures very weak, we think it will resume its easing cycle soon. 29th September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Duterte’s antics hits sentiment in the Philippines Financial markets in the Philippines have fallen in September amid growing concern over the increasingly erratic behaviour of the country’s new president, Rodrigo Duterte. 28th September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates to stay low in the Philippines With the economy growing strongly but inflation under control, today’s decision by the central bank inthe Philippines (BSP) to keep its main policy rate on hold at 3.0% came as no surprise. Looking... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia cuts rates, further easing likely to be gradual Today’s decision by Bank Indonesia (BI) to loosen monetary policy demonstrates that the central bank’s focus is clearly on supporting the economy. Although BI signalled that the rate cutting cycle is... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand holds policy rate, but easing can’t be ruled out The Bank of Thailand (BoT) left its policy rate unchanged at 1.50% today, but with growth set to slowand inflationary pressures very low, further easing is likely in the coming quarters. 14th September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korean rates to stay on hold until year-end at least With the economy showing some signs of improvement, the Bank of Korea (BoK) unsurprisingly kept its policy rate unchanged at 1.25% today. While benign inflation will give the BoK scope to keep rates... 9th September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s rate hold to continue Following its move to cut rates in response to rising downside risks to growth at its last meeting in July, Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) today left its policy rate unchanged at 3.0%. With growth... 7th September 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian markets calm following Yellen’s comments Asian financial markets generally shrugged off last Friday’s comments from US Fed Chair Janet Yellen, in which she suggested the likelihood of an early rate hike in the US has increased. 31st August 2016 · 1 min read
