Asia Economics Update El Niño-related food inflation worries in India premature India's high dependence on rainfall for crop production makes it particularly vulnerable to the dry El Niño weather conditions that many weather forecasters expect this year. Concerns over the... 7th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Rate hikes coming soon in the Philippines and Malaysia The coming week sees scheduled monetary policy meetings in five countries. Korea, Australia and Indonesia look almost certain to keep interest rates on hold. The decisions in the Philippines and... 5th May 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian equities record a solid month Most of Asia’s stock markets recorded gains in April, buoyed by capital inflows. The positive sentiment toward Asian equities appears to reflect an easing of fears over a hard landing in China, as... 30th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Political developments take centre stage Political developments have taken central stage over the past month. Election season is underway in India and Indonesia. Investors are optimistic that India’s election will bring about a positive... 29th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s consumers still far from healthy Rising consumer confidence in India suggests that the long-running slump in consumption may soon come to an end. However, any recovery in household spending is likely to be muted as consumers continue... 29th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian inflation will prove stubborn from here Indian inflation ticked up in March, ending a downward trend that had raised some hopes that the central bank might be winning its battle with price pressures. There are a number of reasons to think... 15th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian manufacturing struggling for momentum Weak industrial output in February has dented hopes of a manufacturing-led rebound in India's economy. With prospects for domestic demand looking downbeat, India's economic recovery will remain slow... 14th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Four risks to watch out for in Emerging Asia Our recently published Emerging Asia Outlook paints a fairly benign picture of the region’s growth prospects, with most economies set to make a gradual recovery in 2014-15. This Weekly looks at some... 14th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Domestic challenges coming into focus Most countries in Emerging Asia should enjoy a steady recovery over the next couple of years on the back of loose monetary policy and a pickup in demand from advanced economies. However, a number of... 10th April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian rates set to remain at a standstill The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left interest rates unchanged today, and we suspect that its rate hiking cycle is at an end. However, tackling inflation is still the RBI's main priority, which means... 1st April 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update A mixed month for Asian currencies After a solid bounce across the board in February, the performance of most Asian currencies and equity markets was muted over the past month. That said, investors were still showing improved appetite... 31st March 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Export outperformance won't reignite Vietnam's economy Vietnam's exports have been a rare bright spot for its struggling economy in recent years, mainly owing to the country's success in attracting foreign manufacturers that want a low-cost alternative to... 31st March 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Asia's consumer sector is picking up After enduring a slump for much of 2013, retail sales in Emerging Asia (ex. China) appear to have turned a corner. Growth has picked up strongly across most countries in the region in recent months... 26th March 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Is Emerging Asia about to run into structural constraints? Concerns over structural constraints on growth have come to the fore recently, in the wake of prolonged slowdowns in some of the world's biggest emerging economies. There are some fears that parts of... 24th March 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Weaker domestic demand driving fragile five’s external positions At an aggregate level, the current account deficit of the “fragile five” (Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey) showed a welcome improvement towards the end of last year. But progress has... 21st March 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Optimism over India’s elections may be misplaced Recent polls pointing to a rising margin of victory for the opposition BJP in the upcoming elections have boosted business confidence. But we think such optimism may be misplaced, with coalition... 21st March 2014 · 1 min read