Asia Economics Update Is inflation about to reach a turning point? Headline inflation rates across emerging Asia, which had been trending lower this year, look set to pick up in coming months. Nonetheless, inflation in the region is unlikely to rise sharply and... 11th September 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Asia's consumers far from immune to global problems We expect global demand to stay weak in coming quarters and for labour markets and consumer confidence in Asia to soften as a result. Central banks in the region are likely to ease further, which... 31st August 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan-China trade agreements are not a big deal Efforts by policymakers in Taiwan and China to strengthen their economic ties have had a negligible impact on Taiwan’s merchandise exports to the mainland, although Taiwan has benefitted in some other... 16th August 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan’s poor export outlook to prompt policy stimulus Taiwan’s export-oriented economy is struggling amid the global slowdown. We expect the global backdrop to remain difficult, while local inflation should stay among the lowest in Asia. Accordingly, we... 31st July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Weak global demand to hamper growth Compared with other emerging regions, Asia is relatively well placed to withstand sluggish global growth. For one thing, policymakers have the ability and willingness to significantly loosen monetary... 26th July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Latest PMIs suggest Asian manufacturers are struggling The June PMIs for Asia were disappointing. With global growth set to remain weak and the situation in the euro-zone likely to worsen, we expect conditions in Asia’s manufacturing sector to remain... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Are lower oil prices a blessing for Asia? The recent collapse in oil prices will help most Asian economies, with oil-intensive Thailand and India benefiting the most. The trouble though is that oil prices are falling because the global... 27th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Falling oil prices provide more scope to loosen policy Exports from Asia have been weak so far in Q2 but domestic demand has held up reasonably well. Nonetheless, we doubt that growth in Asia’s trade-dependent economies would remain so resilient if global... 26th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What do falling commodity prices mean for Australia? Sharp falls in commodity prices over recent weeks have raised questions over the sustainability of Australia’s mining investment boom. On the plus side, the struggling non-mining parts of the economy... 25th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan rate outlook hinges on exports Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) kept its policy rate at 1.875% today, as was widely expected. The economy’s dependence on export-led growth means that the global outlook will remain the key consideration... 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Is fiscal stimulus on the way in Asia? Our view that Asia is well-placed to withstand sluggish global growth and the crisis in the euro-zone is based on our belief that policymakers in the region have plenty of scope to cut interest rates... 12th June 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Who in Asia is most vulnerable to a hard landing in China? Recent weak data from China has led to renewed fears of a hard landing in Asia’s biggest economy. The countries most exposed would be those for which China is an important export market such as Hong... 6th 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 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 Weekly Is expropriation a risk in Asia? Recent developments in Latin America have raised concerns in some quarters that the region could be set for another wave of nationalisations. The level of protection offered to foreign investors is... 7th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update April PMIs suggest Asia’s industrial recovery is losing steam April PMIs for Asia were generally disappointing, and in Australia in particular the index was outright alarming. The weak numbers reinforce our belief that the region’s industrial sector is set for a... 2nd May 2012 · 1 min read