Asia Economics Weekly Australia set for above-trend growth Australia’s Q1 GDP data will be released on Wednesday and are likely to show that the economy contracted in early 2011. However, the weakness was mainly down to local floods and Cyclone Yasi. Growth... 30th May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Inflation still uncomfortably high in Asia April price data show that inflation is highest (and is still rising) in Vietnam while it is lowest in Taiwan. Looking ahead, global commodity prices are likely to put downward pressure on headline... 23rd May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Vietnam needs to remain in tightening mode Policymakers in Vietnam have been busy so far this year tackling the risk of the economy overheating. Nonetheless, policy settings were left too loose for too long and recent data show that broad... 16th May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Korea set to tighten again We expect Korea’s central bank to raise its base rate by 25bp to 3.25% on Friday. This is also the consensus view. GDP growth was strong at the start of the year while core inflation, which excludes... 9th May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly India to continue policy tightening We expect the Reserve Bank of India to raise the repo rate by another 25bp to 7.0% on Tuesday. Recent data show that inflation has picked up again. Moreover, there are growing signs of demand-pull... 2nd May 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia's central banks need to continue tightening policy Growing uncertainty about global growth is prompting some policymakers in the region to adopt a “wait and see” approach. However, we think that most of these concerns will soon dissipate. The key... 25th April 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Thailand set to hike again The Bank of Thailand (BoT) announces its policy rate decision on Wednesday and we expect the repo rate to be raised by 25bp for the fourth meeting in a row, to 2.75%. Prospects for domestic demand... 18th April 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore set for more policy tightening Singapore’s GDP growth probably remained strong in Q1, keeping overheating as the main policy concern. With headline inflation remaining well above the central bank’s 3-4% target range, and wages... 11th April 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Reserve Bank of Australia's pause to continue in April The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is likely to keep its cash rate on hold at 4.75% on Tuesday. Natural disasters, both local and overseas, have created an element of uncertainty and will probably... 4th April 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly India and Indonesia central banks will continue to hike Mostcentral banks across the region will continue tightening policy settings thisyear, although the pace of policy normalisation will vary between countries. Wecompare the policy outlook for the... 28th March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How will the disaster in Japan affect the region? There is no doubt that Japan has suffered a human tragedy, and we extend our deepest sympathies to those affected. The resulting economic impact on the rest of Asia-Pacific will be varied across... 21st March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly India to raise repo rate despite falling inflation We expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hikes its key policy rates on Thursday. However, the spike in food prices appears to be unwinding, while recent activity figures have been weak. These... 14th March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Thailand set to hike again The Bank of Thailand (BoT) announces its policy rate decision on Wednesday and we expect the repo rate to be hiked by 25bp for the third meeting in a row, to 2.5%. The economy is strengthening and... 7th March 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Australia's central bank still likely to hike this year The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is virtually certain to keep its cash rate on hold at 4.75% on Tuesday. Low inflation, sluggish household spending, and the uncertainty created by the recent... 28th February 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Malaysia set for good growth Malaysia posted its fastest annual GDP growth for a decade last year, and we expect the economy to expand at a healthy pace in 2011. Tough conditions in the West are likely to weigh on exports and... 21st February 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore's upswing will stay in good shape Singapore announces its latest budget on Thursday, and we anticipate that the key measures will include supports for low-income groups to cope with higher food and fuel prices. In addition, the budget... 14th February 2011 · 1 min read