Asia Economics Update Thailand’s weak growth likely to prompt more stimulus Thailand’s Q3 GDP figures show that the economy’s post-flood recovery has succumbed to weak global demand. We expect the global economy to continue to struggle, which in turn should prompt the Bank of... 19th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia set for a mild slowdown Today’s GDP data show that Malaysia’s economy grew faster than expected in Q3. While Malaysia has performed well through the recent trade downturn, its economy is nonetheless set to slow next year as... 16th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Global weakness will continue to weigh on Singapore Today’s GDP data show that Singapore's economy contracted more sharply than was previously estimated in Q3. With meaningful recovery in the global economy still some way off, we expect next year to be... 16th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Stagnation continues in India An unexpected drop in industrial production in September, and a further fall in exports in October, underline the weakness of the Indian economy. The government continues to forecast an upturn in the... 12th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia on hold for now, but a cut is likely next year Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) kept its policy rate on hold today at 3.0%, as was widely expected. The economy has performed well amid the global slowdown and so there is little need for the central bank... 8th November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Interest rates in Indonesia set for prolonged hold Indonesia’s central bank (BI) kept its reference rate at 5.75% today, as expected. With inflation relatively low and economic growth remaining strong, we expect BI to remain on hold for the remainder... 8th November 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 Strong growth in Indonesia, but will outperformance last? Indonesia recorded another quarter of strong growth in Q3, with the pace of expansion down only slightly compared with the previous quarter. Weak exports will act as a drag on growth over the next... 5th 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 Economics Update Taiwan’s growth likely to disappoint consensus Today’s GDP data from Taiwan show that the economy returned to y/y growth in Q3. However, we think growth is unlikely to pick up strongly in the coming quarters. Given our view that the global economy... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Reserve Bank of India to continue resisting rate cut pressure The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its key policy rate unchanged today in the face of government pressure on it to cut. With inflation likely to remain high, we suspect the RBI will continue to... 30th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update More rate cuts likely in the Philippines next year The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) cut its key policy rate by 25bp today, as expected. The benign outlook for inflation and worries over growth prospects were the main factors behind the... 25th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand likely to loosen monetary policy again The Bank of Thailand (BoT) cut its repo rate by 25bp to 2.75% today. We think persistent global weakness will prompt the central bank to loosen its policy settings further. 17th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian inflation pushed up by diesel price hike The increase in India’s headline inflation rate, to 7.8% in September, reinforces our view that the central bank is unlikely to cut interest rates again this year. 15th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update More policy stimulus on the way in Korea The Bank of Korea (BoK) cut its policy rate by 25bp to 2.75% today, as expected. Growth has slowed sharply and is unlikely to rebound strongly anytime soon. With inflation set to remain low, there is... 11th October 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Will the reform boost for Indian markets last? The recent burst of reforms has buoyed India’s equity and currency markets, and some further measures are possible in the coming weeks. However, the country’s fundamental outlook has not improved... 11th October 2012 · 1 min read