Asia Economics Update Philippines to keep rates on hold The decision by the central bank of the Philippines (BSP) to keep its main policy rate on hold at 4.0% came as no surprise. With growth picking up but inflation low, we doubt the central bank will be... 11th February 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea’s debt binge to weigh on growth The sharp rise in Korea’s private sector debt over the past decade has raised concerns about financial stability. While there are good reasons to believe that a crisis is not in the offing, Korea will... 10th February 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand to keep rates unchanged in 2016 The Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) decision to keep its policy rate unchanged at 1.50% today came as no surprise. With the economy gradually recovering and the government stepping up efforts to support... 3rd February 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Calm returns to Asian financial markets Asia’s markets were badly caught up in the global sell-off earlier in the month, and although sentiment seems to have settled down in recent days, most of the region’s equity markets are still down... 29th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Key challenges await Vietnam’s new leadership Vietnam’s new top leadership team, which has just been unveiled, takes the reins at a key moment for the economy. Although short-term prospects remain good, further reforms are needed for the economy... 28th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia puts fiscal discipline ahead of growth Malaysia’s government cut its spending plans for 2016 today in response to recent declines in global oil prices. While Malaysia’s commitment to fiscal discipline is encouraging, it will come at the... 28th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Some respite for Korea’s export sector in 2016 A cyclical recovery in China’s economy and free trade agreements that came into force in late 2015 should provide a boost to Korean exports this year. But with Chinese companies making more of the... 22nd January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rate cuts in Malaysia unlikely despite SRR cut The decision by Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) today to cuts its statutory reserve requirement (SRR) ratio is not a signal that interest rates cuts are on the way. Worries about currency weakness and... 21st January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What does Taiwan’s election result mean for the economy? The weekend’s election result marks a major political landmark for Taiwan, with the anti-China Democratic People’s Party (DPP) winning not only the presidency, but also gaining control of the... 18th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia will only cut rates gradually Bank Indonesia’s decision to cut interest rates today should provide a long-overdue boost to the struggling economy. But the central bank will take a cautious approach from here. 14th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rate cut in Bangladesh likely to be a one-off Bangladesh Bank has today cut its policy rates for the first time since 2013 to give the economy a further lift. Although the central bank has become more confident of meeting its inflation target... 14th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Korea to hold rates in 2016 Against a backdrop of global financial market volatility and rising household debt, the Bank of Korea (BoK) left its policy rate unchanged at a record low of 1.50% today. We do not expect any changes... 14th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Oil price fall further dims Malaysia’s 2016 growth outlook The renewed fall in oil prices in recent months is a further blow to Malaysia’s economy. Moreover, there is very little scope for policymakers to support growth with fiscal or monetary loosening. We... 13th January 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update A quiet end to the year Asian financial markets have taken the start of Fed tightening in their stride. Currencies, equities and government bond yields have all been fairly stable over the past month. 23rd December 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is Taiwan’s rate cutting cycle over? Today’s decision by Taiwan’s central bank (the CBC) to cut its main policy rate by 12.5 basis points to 1.625% reflects concern over the current weakness of the economy. Looking ahead, we are... 17th December 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to cut rates early next year Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its key policy rate on hold today at 7.50%, but dropped the clearest signal yet that an interest rate cut is not far away. We are maintaining our view that the central bank... 17th December 2015 · 1 min read
