Asia Economics Update

Thailand: rates set to rise, but tightening to be gradual

The Bank of Thailand left interest rates unchanged today, but hawkish comments from the central bank suggest that rates will be raised sooner than we had previously expected.

8th June 2022 · 3 mins read

Asia Economics Weekly

BoT to stay on the sidelines, Korea inflation concerns

Despite above-target inflation, we expect the Bank of Thailand to leave interest rates unchanged, not only at its meeting on Wednesday, but throughout 2022, as it prioritises supporting the economic...

2nd June 2022 · 5 mins read

Asia Data Response

Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (May)

Manufacturing PMIs for May suggest that cost pressures remain high, but there were more encouraging signs on the external front, with new export orders showing signs of stabilising. Meanwhile, Korean...

1st June 2022 · 2 mins read

Asia Chart Pack

Pakistan edges closer to IMF deal

Talks between Pakistan and the IMF ended last week without agreement, but the subsequent decision by the government to cut back fuel subsidies has cleared one of the major hurdles towards a deal being...

30th May 2022 · 15 mins read

Asia Data Response

Thailand GDP (Q1)

Following continued growth in the first quarter, the pace of the recovery will largely depend on how quickly tourists return now that the country has fully reopened to foreign visitors. Emerging Asia...

17th May 2022 · 3 mins read

Asia Economics Weekly

What next for the recovery? Politics takes centre stage

Despite a surge in virus cases at the start of the year, most countries recorded decent growth in the first quarter. We expect recoveries to continue over the coming months on the back of an easing of...

13th May 2022 · 6 mins read

Asia Economic Outlook

New headwinds emerge

Our GDP growth forecasts are generally above the consensus, but with higher commodity prices and weaker global demand set to weigh on economic recoveries, growth across much of Emerging Asia will be...

28th April 2022 · 35 mins read

Asia Data Response

Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (Mar.)

While Korean trade data show exports remained buoyant, regional Manufacturing PMIs point to lost momentum. With headwinds to export-focussed industry mounting, there are tougher times ahead.

1st April 2022 · 3 mins read

Asia Economics Update

Thailand: rates to stay low despite inflation worries

The Bank of Thailand (BoT) left interest rates unchanged at its meeting today and suggested that it would continue to look through a temporary rise in inflation to support the economic recovery. We...

30th March 2022 · 3 mins read

Asia Chart Pack

Omicron recedes, but other headwinds emerge

Successful vaccination campaigns allowed governments to keep economies open during the recent Omicron waves, and our Mobility Trackers suggest that activity held up much better than we had originally...

29th March 2022 · 15 mins read

Asia Economics Weekly

More dovish signals from South East Asia

Dovish comments from policymakers over the past week support our view that central banks in South East Asia will buck the trend of global tightening and leave interest rates unchanged over the coming...

25th March 2022 · 7 mins read

Asia Economics Weekly

Korea COVID surge, Thai baht to weaken

Despite surging cases of COVID-19 in Korea, the economy appears to be holding up well. We are sticking with our view that the central bank will resume its tightening cycle in April. Meanwhile, the...

18th March 2022 · 6 mins read

Asia Economics Weekly

Policy headache in Thailand, Korea’s election

Inflation has become a major policy headache for the Bank of Thailand after figures released today showed that the headline rate surged to a 14-year high in February. Given the weakness of the economy...

4th March 2022 · 5 mins read

Asia Data Response

Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (Feb.)

February Manufacturing PMIs and Korean trade data show that regional industry had another strong month. This should offset some of the Omicron-related weakness in service sectors this quarter.

1st March 2022 · 2 mins read

Asia Chart Pack

How will central banks respond to rising oil prices?

The recent jump in oil prices poses a significant upside risk to our inflation and interest rate forecasts for this year. Central banks would normally “look through” a one-off jump in the price level...

28th February 2022 · 14 mins read