Julie Nicol

Julie Nicol is the Office Administrator in Singapore, working closely with the London office as well as providing support to the local sales team.

China Data Response

Activity & Spending (Aug.)

Today’s activity and spending data are a mixed bag. On balance though, they do little to change our view that momentum is weakening and that policy easing won’t put a floor beneath growth for some...

14th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Economics Weekly

Japanese exporters back in the firing line

Recent comments by President Trump suggest that he may target Japan next in his efforts to reduce the US trade deficit. Trump may want Japan to increase pressure on China to end unfair trading...

14th September 2018 1 min read

Australia & New Zealand Data Response

Labour Market (Aug.)

The labour market is edging closer to the conditions that are necessary to trigger faster wage growth, but it may be another couple of years yet before it gets there.

13th September 2018 1 min read

Bank of Japan Watch

Board getting more concerned about economic outlook

Mounting downside risks to economic activity mean that the Bank of Japan will have little reason in the foreseeable future to deviate from its pledge to keep interest rates extremely low for an...

13th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Data Response

Machinery Orders (Jul.)

Even though machinery orders jumped in July, the recent fall in capital goods shipments suggests that a slowdown in business investment in the third quarter will be hard to avoid.

13th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Chart Pack

Labour gaining the upper hand

Summer bonuses rose the most since 1991 this year. That is partly a reflection of the surge in corporate profits in recent years. But workers are earning more than their fair share of the pie. Labour...

11th September 2018 1 min read

Asia Economics Update

Weak labour market to drag on Korea’s economy

Korea’s labour market has deteriorated significantly in recent months, and August data due tomorrow are likely to show that conditions remain weak. The government unveiled plans for a sharp rise in...

11th September 2018 1 min read

China Data Response

Inflation & Trade (Aug.)

Consumer price inflation picked up last month, as African swine flu led to a jump in pork prices. But with broad price pressures still relatively subdued, it’s still too soon to sound the alarm on...

10th September 2018 1 min read

Australia & New Zealand Economics Update

Boost to GDP from private investment unlikely to last

The bulk of the recent leap in GDP growth has been driven by the behaviour of businesses, but firms probably won’t be able to support growth for long. An easing in private investment growth is one...

10th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Data Response

GDP (Q2 Revised)

Revised data show that growth in Q2 was stronger than initially reported. But the available data suggest that activity slowed in Q3 and we reiterate our forecast that growth will be just 1% this year.

10th September 2018 1 min read

Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly

Surging GDP, stationary RBA

The recent stellar performance of the Australian economy hasn’t made it much more likely that the RBA will raise interest rates sooner because it is businesses that are benefiting most not households...

7th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Data Response

Labour Cash Earnings & Household Spending (Jul.)

We wouldn’t read too much into the slowdown in wage growth in July as it was driven by volatile bonus payments. Base pay continues to grow at a healthy pace. We expect wage growth to strengthen a bit...

7th September 2018 1 min read

Australia & New Zealand Data Response

GDP (Q2)

The surge in GDP growth in the first half of the year meant that the Australian economy notched up 27 years without a recession in style. But with house prices falling, credit conditions tightening...

5th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Economics Update

BoJ not doing the twist after all

The increase in the volume of the Bank of Japan’s bond auctions merely offsets a reduction in their frequency and won’t alter the overall pace of purchases much. The bigger point is that those...

5th September 2018 1 min read

Australia & New Zealand Economics Update

RBA glosses over weaker economic news

The upbeat tone of the comments by the Reserve Bank of Australia after it left interest rates at the record low of 1.5% for the 25th month today is starting to grate more obviously with the incoming...

4th September 2018 1 min read

Japan Economics Update

Is the BoJ doing the twist?

Today’s shift in the Bank of Japan’s bond purchases shouldn’t be interpreted as a signal that the 10-year target will be raised anytime soon. Note added post-publication: In this Update, we suggest...

4th September 2018 1 min read