Japan Chart Pack Hit to output from staff absences could be hard Skyrocketing infections and a 10-day isolation requirement for close contacts of positive cases have resulted in a wave of staff absences in Japan. Domestic carmakers already struggling with chip... 24th January 2022 · 10 mins read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan: a pause to the tightening cycle The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) left interest rates on hold today at 9.75% and indicated that further modest tightening is likely later in the year. We think the central bank will take a breather... 24th January 2022 · 2 mins read
China Activity Monitor Starting 2022 on the back foot Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that China’s economy was still struggling to regain momentum at the end of last year amid troubles in the property sector and recurrent COVID outbreaks which... 24th January 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Data Response Japan Flash PMIs (Jan. 2022) The January flash PMI suggests that the manufacturing sector continues to expand at a rapid pace, but there are mounting signs that firms are passing on higher input costs to consumers. By contrast... 24th January 2022 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Thai tourism boost, new oil price forecasts Better times lie head for Thailand’s tourism industry after the government this week announced it would resume its quarantine-free travel scheme from 1 st February. A recovery in tourism will not only... 21st January 2022 · 8 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Restrictions may not last long, key Shunto approaching With restrictions this week expanded to cover most of Japan’s economy, and surging infections already starting to cause staff shortages in some industries, GDP is only likely to tread water this... 21st January 2022 · 4 mins read
China Economics Weekly Some relief for property developers This week’s cut to policy rates is one of a succession of recent moves designed to stabilize residential property sales. Developers have also been given a little more breathing room in terms of their... 21st January 2022 · 5 mins read
India Economics Weekly Encouraging signs in state-level virus data COVID infections have been falling in parts of India over the past week, particularly in those areas that were first to report Omicron waves. We’re hopeful that this is a sign of things to come, and... 21st January 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Data Response Japan Consumer Prices (Dec. 2021) Consumer price inflation reached a two-year high of 0.8% in December, but with energy prices set to fall back, we think that it will peak around 1% by mid-year. 21st January 2022 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Indonesia: hiking cycle to be gradual Bank Indonesia left interest rates unchanged at 3.5% at its meeting today, but the decision to raise the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) from March suggests that rate hikes will come sooner than we... 20th January 2022 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Deposit rates may be next PBOC target Today’s reductions to both the one-year and five-year Loan Prime Rates (LPR) continue the PBOC’s efforts to push down borrowing costs. We expect additional easing to follow in the coming months... 20th January 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Data Response Japan External Trade (Dec. 2021) Exports were broadly stable in December after a sharp rebound in November. We think they’ll continue to recover at a decent pace this year as external demand for capital goods continues to rise and... 20th January 2022 · 2 mins read
India Economic Outlook On the cusp of policy tightening India’s Omicron wave should only be a temporary setback to the economic recovery. As long as recurrent large waves of COVID are avoided, we think that economic growth will be faster this year than... 19th January 2022 · 18 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor With the notable exception of Turkey, net capital outflows from emerging markets have eased over the past month. However, the global backdrop for EMs this year will be challenging, particularly for... 19th January 2022 · 3 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Current account risks building in Em. Europe & Lat Am The shift to current account surpluses in Indonesia and South Africa suggest that these economies may be better placed to weather any fallout from rising US interest rates than in the past. But... 18th January 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ unlikely to lift interest rates anytime soon The Bank of Japan today upgraded its assessment of inflation risks to “broadly balanced” for the first time since 2014. However, it reiterated its pledge to keep expanding the monetary base until... 18th January 2022 · 3 mins read