Asia Economic Outlook Policy easing to begin soon We expect economic growth in most countries in Asia to slow in the second half of 2024, as tighter fiscal policy, high interest rates and weaker global growth all weigh on demand. Inflation is back to... 20th June 2024 · 28 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Malaysia subsidy cuts, BoK minutes, Pakistan budget Headline inflation in Malaysia has been among the lowest in Asia but that is soon set to change now that the government is pushing ahead with long-planned subsidy cuts aimed at improving the public... 14th June 2024 · 6 mins read
Asia Chart Pack Emerging Asia Chart Pack (May 2024) Headline inflation across most of Emerging Asia is now either below or only slightly above central bank targets. Nevertheless, policymakers have struck a slightly more hawkish tone recently due to... 30th May 2024 · 1 min read
Asia Rapid Response Malaysia GDP (Q1 2024, second estimate) The second estimate of Q1 GDP confirmed that the economy rebounded last quarter but we continue to expect below-trend GDP growth this year as a whole. The softening labour market, tighter fiscal... 17th May 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Rapid Response Malaysia: Monetary Policy Meeting Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) left its overnight policy rate (OPR) on hold (at 3.00%) today, and the tone of its statement supports our view that rates will be left unchanged throughout 2024. The... 9th May 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korea Trade (Mar.) The PMIs from Emerging Asia remained weak in March. We think manufacturing sectors across most of Asia will struggle in the near term but activity in Korea and Taiwan is likely to remain strong. 1st April 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economic Outlook Asian central banks waiting for the Fed With inflation easing and domestic demand struggling in much of emerging Asia, central banks are likely to start cutting interest rates soon. The one remaining concern for policymakers is the fear of... 27th March 2024 · 27 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly BoK on hold, Malaysia Q4 GDP, election roundup The Bank of Korea looks almost certain to leave interest rates unchanged at its meeting on Thursday. Instead, the focus will be on the tone of the statement. We expect the central bank to start... 16th February 2024 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korea Trade (Jan.) The PMI data for Emerging Asia offered some encouraging signs but remained quite weak overall for most economies. While parts of the region are likely to see an improvement in activity, we expect... 1st February 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Rapid Response Malaysia: Monetary Policy Meeting The central bank (BNM) left the overnight policy rate unchanged (at 3.0%) today and we think monetary policy is set for an extended pause as policymakers attempt to strike a balance between supporting... 24th January 2024 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Currency weakness unlikely to last, BNM on hold The recent fall in Asian currencies is likely to reverse later in the year, if as we anticipate, the US Fed starts to cut interest rates soon. A rebound in Asian currencies should create an... 19th January 2024 · 9 mins read
Asia Rapid Response Malaysia GDP (Q4, advanced estimate) GDP declined during the fourth quarter and we expect activity to remain weak in the near term amid elevated interest rates, a cooling labour market, soft foreign demand and subdued commodity prices. 19th January 2024 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing PMIs & Korean trade (December) The December PMIs for most economies in Emerging Asia stood well inside contractionary territory. The outlook for manufacturing in the region remains bleak in the near term as elevated inventory... 2nd January 2024 · 2 mins read
