Asia Economics Weekly Inflation to fall in Indonesia despite currency weakness Bank Indonesia meets this week with the rupiah having so far come through the latest period of EM turmoil in reasonable shape. As such, it is under little pressure to follow other EM central banks in... 10th February 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs highlight EM divergence Emerging market (EM) manufacturing appears to have slowed last month but, perhaps more importantly, there is a widening divergence between countries. Activity seems to be picking up in the more open... 6th February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Rates to be kept low in the Philippines to support reconstruction Today’s decision by the central bank in the Philippines (BSP) to keep interest rates on hold at a record low of just 3.5% came as no surprise. With the recent increase in inflation likely to prove... 6th February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Industrial production recovery to boost regional growth The full set of Emerging Asia GDP data for the final quarter of 2013 is yet to be released, but our tracker suggests the region as a whole struggled for momentum. Weak industrial production was a key... 6th February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indonesian growth unlikely to accelerate further Indonesia's economy accelerated slightly in Q4, but growth was still below 6% for the third consecutive quarter. With monetary policy set to remain tight, inflation eating into consumers’ purchasing... 5th February 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Focus Five questions (and answers) about the turmoil in EM markets The emerging world may not be facing a re-run of the late-1990s, as some have suggested, but theprecarious position of some EMs makes it likely that several economies will run into trouble overthe... 4th February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Australia holds rates and takes cuts off the agenda The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its cash rate at 2.5% today, as expected. Moreover, it strongly suggested that it is does not expect to change policy in the foreseeable future. For now... 4th February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand's political crisis to continue dragging on economy Although Sunday's general election proceeded as scheduled, Thailand's political crisis shows no sign of letting up. While the incumbent Pheu Thai Party almost certainly won the most votes, it could be... 3rd February 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Five reasons to be positive about the Philippines The Philippines economy came through the disruption caused by Typhoon Haiyan reasonably well, posting healthy growth in the final quarter of 2013. The outlook is also bright, with long term growth... 3rd February 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Currency turmoil not yet a risk to EM inflation As things stand, the recent sharp falls in emerging market (EM) currencies do not appear to be a major threat to EM inflation. Even those emerging economies that have borne the brunt of the currency... 31st January 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Activity Monitor Economic fallout from market turmoil should be contained It’s too early to say with any certainty what impact the current turmoil in financial markets will have on EM growth. But while we expect the countries that have been hit hardest in recent weeks –... 30th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand rate hike is imminent The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.5% today, but it made clear in its statement that it will be raising rates soon. As long as data releases continue to show... 30th January 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Turkey & India likely to be the exception rather than the rule The decisions by Turkey and India yesterday to raise interest rates have inevitably led to speculation that market turbulence will force policymakers in other parts of the emerging world to follow... 29th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia tightening cycle to start in first half of 2014 Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) unsurprisingly kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.0% at its meeting today. But with the economy gradually gaining traction, we think the next move in rates is likely to... 29th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asia escaping the worst of recent EM turmoil Asia has escaped the worst of the latest sell-off in EM assets. What’s more, some of the economies that were hit hardest during the turmoil of last summer have proved more resilient this time around. 29th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Dual concerns over inflation and rupee behind India rate hike The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) surprised the market with a rate hike today, signalling its commitment to bringing down inflation, while perhaps also hoping to protect the rupee amid the ongoing... 28th January 2014 · 1 min read