Asia Economics Update Australian GDP surges in Q1, but growth has probably peaked Australia’s economy grew far more quickly than expected in Q1. A global slowdown and a strong currency have taken its toll on exports, but the domestic economy is being bolstered by an investment boom... 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia’s manufacturers struggling amid global slowdown The latest Purchasing Manager Indices suggest that Asia’s manufacturers are feeling the effects of turmoil in Europe and a slowdown in China. With the data also indicating that inflationary pressures... 4th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Currencies and equities fall sharply, further falls likely Following a strong start to the year, most Asian currencies and equities fell sharply in May. The main reason is that renewed concerns over the euro-zone’s future brought a return in global risk... 31st May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s growth rate slows further, worse still to come The sharp slowdown in India’s GDP growth in the first quarter means hopes for growth of 7% or more this calendar year are too optimistic. We are cutting our forecast to 6%. 31st May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Growth rebounds in the Philippines, but will the recovery last? GDP growth in the Philippines rebounded strongly in the first quarter due to continued strong private consumption, a pick-up in government spending and a recovery in exports. However, with the crisis... 31st May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand dollar rally unlikely to last The New Zealand dollar has been one of Asia’s worst-hit currencies since fears of a euro-zone breakup escalated. The currency has regained some ground in recent days and most analysts expect it to... 29th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly How much scope does Asia have to cut interest rates? We continue to expect central banks in Asia to cut their policy rates this year by more than the consensus anticipates. Vietnam is likely to cut most aggressively, as both growth and inflation there... 28th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What should we expect from first quarter GDP in India? India’s first quarter GDP data, due to be published on 31st May, are likely to show a further slowdown in activity compared to the last quarter of 2011. With no sign that growth is likely to pick up... 24th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Falling inflation in Vietnam opens door to further rate cuts Inflation in Vietnam fell in May for the ninth consecutive month, with the y/y rate dropping below 10% for the first time since late 2010. Weaker inflation should provide further support to the dong... 24th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How bad were the Q1 data for emerging Asia? Most of Asia reported weak GDP growth in the first quarter of this year, due mainly to weak export demand. The crisis in the euro-zone is likely to weigh heavily on Asia this year. However, the... 23rd May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s growth set to slow further Today’s GDP data show that Malaysia’s growth slowed in Q1, mainly due to weaker exports. With renewed concerns from the euro crisis weighing on global sentiment, exporters are likely to face an even... 23rd May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand posts V-shaped recovery, but policy loosening still likely Today’s Q1 GDP data show that Thailand’s economy bounced back strongly from the flood-induced slump in Q4, as expected. Growth will inevitably slow sharply now that the easy gains have been achieved... 21st May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Better placed than most to weather Greece exit storm Political deadlock in Greece has re-ignited market fears of euro-zone break-up. While Asia would not escape unscathed from turmoil associated with Greece’s departure from the currency union, the... 21st May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What would a rebalancing of China’s economy mean for Asia? A rebalancing of China’s economy away from investment and towards consumption would be bad for the region’s capital goods and commodities exporters, with Korea, Indonesia and Australia likely to be... 18th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Will the Reserve Bank‘s support for the rupee succeed? We doubt that the Reserve Bank of India’s recent efforts to prop up the rupee will succeed. However, this may be a good thing, as India would benefit from a more competitive currency. 14th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Does the Chiang Mai bailout fund matter? Fearing that the euro-zone crisis could lead to a sharp outflow of capital from Asia, policymakers have sought to strengthen the regional financial safety net. However, Asia is far less vulnerable to... 14th May 2012 · 1 min read
