Asia Data Response Singapore GDP (Q4, revised) Omicron is likely to prove only a small stumbling block on the road to recovery after the strong growth of late 2021. We still expect GDP to return to its pre-pandemic trend later this year. 17th February 2022 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update China-Taiwan ≠ Russia-Ukraine A Russian invasion of Ukraine would not make a Chinese attack on Taiwan more likely and would not undermine the willingness or ability of Taiwan’s allies to come to its defence. 15th February 2022 · 4 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor Net capital outflows from emerging markets have intensified over the past month as growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and the prospect of tighter global monetary policy have caused risk... 15th February 2022 · 2 mins read
Global Markets Update We expect EM LC government bonds to be a mixed bag We think that yields of 10-year emerging market local-currency government bonds may, in general, increase by more in Asia than in other regions by end-2023, in contrast with the pattern over the past... 11th February 2022 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore budget, elections loom in the Philippines The focus of Singapore’s 2022 budget next Friday will be on steps to raise revenues to help deal with a rapidly ageing population, as the government shifts away from supporting the economy through the... 11th February 2022 · 6 mins read
Asia Data Response Malaysia GDP (Q4) Malaysia’s economy rebounded strongly last quarter and, despite headwinds from Omicron, should continue to recover throughout 2022. 11th February 2022 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia to tighten policy gradually Bank Indonesia left interest rates unchanged at 3.5% at its meeting today, and the weakness of inflation means the tightening cycle is likely to be very gradual. 10th February 2022 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand: rates to stay low despite jump in inflation The Bank of Thailand (BoT) left its policy rate unchanged today at 0.5%, and despite the recent rebound in inflation, we expect interest rates will remain on hold for some time to come. 9th February 2022 · 3 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update What higher oil prices mean for EMs If oil prices were to remain at their elevated levels, they could push current account and budget balances into surplus in many of the EM producers. It would also ease any concerns about dollar pegs... 8th February 2022 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Inflation a worry in South Asia, but less so elsewhere Inflation is a growing concern for policymakers in South Asia and means interest rates are likely to rise further this year. Elsewhere in Asia, inflation remains low and is likely to fall back over... 8th February 2022 · 4 mins read
Asia Data Response Indonesia GDP (Q4) Indonesia’s economy rebounded strongly in the final quarter of last year, but the recovery is now entering a more difficult phase. Omicron will act as a small obstacle in the first quarter. But a... 7th February 2022 · 3 mins read
FX Markets Update Taking stock of the prospects for EM currencies We expect most emerging market (EM) currencies to struggle, despite their strong start to 2022, as commodity prices fall and the Fed seeks to tighten financial conditions. That said, we think that... 4th February 2022 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Encouraging developments in the Philippines The Philippines has been hit harder than any other country in the region by the pandemic, but the past week has at least brought some good news. The latest Omicron wave appears to have had only a... 4th February 2022 · 8 mins read
Frontier Markets Wrap Sovereign debt risks becoming more acute Sovereign dollar bond spreads have widened significantly in several Frontiers over the past couple of months, driven largely by country-specific factors. There are reasons to be hopeful that outright... 3rd February 2022 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea’s COVID shift, Q1 Outlooks A successful vaccination campaign means that, despite a surge in COVID cases, Korea is sticking with its plans to reopen the economy. This supports our view that Omicron will have only a small impact... 28th January 2022 · 6 mins read
Asia Chart Pack Rising virus numbers unlikely to derail recovery The Omicron variant is spreading quickly across Asia. Daily virus numbers are now at record levels in Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. However, the economic impact of Omicron is shaping up to be... 27th January 2022 · 15 mins read
