Asia Economics Weekly Spike in inflation nothing to worry about The sharp rise in headline inflation across Emerging Asia is unlikely to be the trigger for the region’s central banks to start tightening monetary policy. The increase is almost entirely due to an... 3rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Feb.) The PMIs for Emerging Asia in February were mostly encouraging, suggesting that manufacturing conditions in the region are slowly gaining a firmer footing. 1st March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Thailand GDP (Q4) Thailand’s economy ended 2016 on a subdued note. A combination of lacklustre external demand, high household debt and continued political uncertainty will keep growth subdued in the quarters ahead. 20th February 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Thailand to keep rates on prolonged hold The Bank of Thailand (BoT) unsurprisingly left its policy rate on hold at 1.50% for its 14th straight meeting today. With the government prepared to do the heavy lifting to support the economy, the... 8th February 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Thailand’s current account surplus is a sign of weakness Large current account surpluses are sometimes a sign of economic strength. In the case of Thailand, however, where the surplus is over 10% of GDP, it is a symptom of a deeply depressed economy. 27th January 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Vietnam complacent over credit risks Policymakers in Vietnam are becoming increasingly complacent of the risks posed by the rapid build-up in debt, as reflected by the government’s recent announcement that it was targeting credit growth... 17th January 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Steady growth ahead Most countries in Emerging Asia should continue to grow at a decent pace over the next couple of years as loose monetary policy helps support demand. The key exception is China, where growth looks set... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Dec.) Emerging Asia’s PMIs were a mixed bag in December. Focusing on the two economies where the PMIs most closely track the hard data, the recovery in Taiwan’s manufacturing sector appears to have... 3rd January 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thailand to keep rates on hold throughout 2017 The Bank of Thailand (BoT) left its policy rate on hold at 1.50% today, and with fiscal policy taking the lead in boosting growth but inflationary pressures benign, the BoT is likely to keep rates... 21st December 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Malaysia moves to stabilise the ringgit The Malaysian central bank (BNM) has introduced a range of measures to stabilise the ringgit, which has been the region’s worst performing currency over the past month. The most significant step it... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Thailand’s populist shift is bad news for the economy The recent shift by the military government in Thailand towards economic populism will help to shore-up demand in the short-term. But the stalling of economic reform is undermining the country’s long... 2nd December 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Nov.) The PMIs for Emerging Asia suggest conditions in the region’s manufacturing sectors mostly remained subdued in November. Focusing on the two economies where the PMIs most closely track the hard data... 1st December 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Asian markets stabilise Asian financial markets have stabilised after falling sharply in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump’s surprise US election victory. Looking ahead, we expect to see further falls in currencies... 30th November 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Political developments take centre stage Political developments have taken centre stage over the past month. Aside from Donald Trump’s election victory, most attention in Asia has focused on Korea, where President Park Geun-hye is clinging... 23rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Thailand GDP (Q3) Thailand’s growth slowed in Q3 and looks set to soften further over the coming quarters, due to high levels of household debt, lacklustre global growth and continued political uncertainty. 21st November 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update China trade pact will not compensate for failure of TPP The demise of the TPP is a blow to economic prospects in Emerging Asia. The benefits of a China-led regional trade deal are likely to be much smaller. 18th November 2016 · 1 min read
