Asia Economics Weekly Jokowi to stand again, tightening cycle to lose steam Joko Widodo (also known as Jokowi) confirmed earlier this week that he will be seeking a second term as president, setting the stage for a repeat of the 2014 election, which saw him narrowly edge past... 10th August 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines central bank to turn more aggressive? Rising inflationary pressures mean that the central bank of the Philippines (BSP) is almost certain to raise interest rates at its meeting on Thursday, the only question is by how much. 3rd August 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Equities jump, exports resilient, BoK points to rate hike Asian equities have rebounded over the past week, helped in part by easing fears of a global trade war after the successful trade meeting between US President Donald Trump and EU President Jean-Claude... 27th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea’s minimum wage policy backfiring The decision earlier this week to raise the hourly minimum wage by a further 11% next year will undermine President Moon Jae-in’s goal to reduce inequality and boost private consumption growth. 20th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Trade war risks rise, but no panic yet Despite the further escalation in trade tensions between the US and China over the past week, there is little sign that policymakers are starting to panic. 13th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Malaysia: China investment freeze to weigh on growth The Malaysian government’s decision earlier this week to suspend work on the US$20bn East Coast Railway Link points to a bleak future for Chinese investment in the country. Halting work on these... 6th July 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Election worries in Indonesia, delays in Thailand The strong showing of opposition parties in local elections held across Indonesia on Wednesday is bad news for President Joko Widodo. They could prompt a shift in policymaking towards more populist... 29th June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Policymakers signal further tightening Over the past week the central banks of Indonesia, the Philippines and India have all signalled that further monetary policy tightening is only a matter of time. Elsewhere, however, with inflation... 22nd June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Thailand: Demographics and politics to drag on prospects Thailand’s working age population is forecast to start shrinking from next year, presenting a headwind to the country’s economic prospects. With productivity growth set to remain weak, economic growth... 15th June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How will the Trump-Kim summit impact South Korea? Next week’s summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jung Un, is a big deal politically, but even if a major breakthrough is announced, the impact on South Korea’s financial markets... 8th June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What next for growth? GDP growth across Emerging Asia edged up slightly in the first quarter of the year, and should continue to hold up relatively well in the near term, despite the drag from higher oil prices and weaker... 1st June 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What does the latest spike in oil prices mean for Asia? The recent jump in oil prices will act as a headwind to economic activity across the region, with the drag on growth likely to be biggest in Thailand, Taiwan and Korea. However, with monetary and... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Who will follow Indonesia higher? The Philippines, India and Korea are all likely to follow Bank Indonesia by hiking interest rates over the next couple of months. But unlike Indonesia, these three are set to tighten policy from a... 18th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea: A one-year progress report on President Moon The highlight of Moon Jae-in’s first year as president has been the improvement in relations with North Korea. On the economic front, however, Moon has largely steered clear of the kind of... 11th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines: Interest rates to rise as inflation concerns mount A further rise in inflation in April and more hawkish comments from policymakers suggest the central bank of the Philippines (BSP) is likely to raise interest rates at its upcoming meeting on Thursday... 4th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly No need to worry about the rupiah Earlier this week Bank Indonesia raised the prospect of an interest rate hike to support the rupiah, which has come under further downward pressure as rising Treasury yields in the US have pushed the... 27th April 2018 · 1 min read
