Asia Economics Update Philippines set for prolonged hold to support reconstruction The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) left interest rates on hold today, as expected. Looking ahead, we expect the BSP will keep monetary policy settings unchanged until 2015 as it looks to... 12th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand still likely to wait until Q2 to hike rates The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.5% today. In its statement, the central bank sounded slightly more hawkish on inflation, but it still looks like it will wait... 12th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea in no hurry to raise rates The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate on hold today for the seventh consecutive month. With inflationary pressures low and the economy set to stage only a gradual recovery over the next year... 12th December 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Focus How might policymakers react when the EM credit bubble bursts? We have previously identified six emerging markets where credit growth appears to be unsustainable: Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey. In the event of a crisis, past experience... 9th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Coalition politics still likely to hinder Indian reform Markets have rallied in India on the back of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong showing in state elections, which puts it in a strong position ahead of the general election in a few months... 9th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand’s political crisis adds to economic concerns Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament today and called for elections "as soon as possible". This step is unlikely to resolve political tensions, given that the opposition... 9th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Inflation rising, but scope for policy to remain loose Inflation in Emerging Asia has picked up in the past few months, albeit to a rate that is still low by historic standards. While the inflation outlook is not quite as benign as it has been for the... 9th December 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update What do China’s reforms mean for other EMs? The shift in China's growth model that has been signalled by its leadership would benefit many economies elsewhere in the emerging world while causing difficulties for others. Major commodity... 6th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia to raise rates sooner than expected In its latest move to rein in subsidy spending, the Malaysian government this week announced that it will hike electricity tariffs in 2014. Further subsidy cuts, particularly on the fuel front, are... 6th December 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Elections in the "Fragile Five": threat or an opportunity? Each of the five countries that were the worst hit by the summer currency sell-off (the so-called “Fragile Five”) are due to hold important elections next year. In the short term, uncertainty ahead of... 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia’s economy is unlikely to rebalance seamlessly Australia’s economy slowed slightly in the third quarter. We expect growth to remain below trend over the next couple of years as the economy adjusts to cooling mining investment. 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s current account vulnerability falls, but risks remain Measures to curb demand for imported gold have contributed to a sharp narrowing of India’s current account deficit. This should make the rupee less vulnerable to shifts in global investor sentiment. 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Aussie dollar likely to come under further pressure The Australian dollar was the second-worst performing of the G-10 currencies in November behind the Japanese yen, shedding nearly 4% of its value against the US dollar. We expect the Aussie to remain... 3rd December 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update BRIC manufacturing recovery lags behind Manufacturing in the emerging world remains on course for a fairly strong final quarter of the year. Our EM-wide manufacturing PMI, based on data produced by Markit, is consistent with industrial... 3rd December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia’s central bank still likely to provide more support The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept its policy rate on hold at 2.5% today. However, we think further loosening will be needed next year to help the economy cope with the cooling mining boom. 3rd December 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update November PMIs point to mixed recovery The November PMIs for Emerging Asia were a mixed bag. Regional manufacturing remains on the road to recovery, but today’s readings are a reminder that it is unlikely to be robust or even. 2nd December 2013 · 1 min read