Philippine inflation still comfortably below the BSP’s range
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Thai household debt has shrunk for the first time in over 20 years, but its ratio to GDP is still very high…
- …Consumer NPLs resumed their rise in Q1 after a Q4 stall; bad initial news for “You Fight, We Help”.
- Philippine inflation inched up in June; the low-CPI environment is yet to lift confidence meaningfully.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Post-export-front-loading clouds for ASEAN continue to darken
Indonesian export growth probably will buckle again in Q3
Expect a further rise in Indonesian food inflation in the July report
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- ASEAN’s manufacturing PMI deteriorated further in June, and all signs point to more near-term falls.
- Indonesian export growth is in for a rockier H2, in spite of evidence of stabilising demand from China.
- Consumer sectors were to blame for India’s poor May IP; that’s a double whammy for the economy.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Consumer-facing industries are buckling.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Retail sales growth in Thailand is still at an absurdly-high double-digit rate; ignoring the rosy headlines…
- …The monthly consumption index remains weak, and fading confidence points to more downside.
- Consumption looks set to continue rising, though, as wages recover alongside productivity.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
A bump in the road for the uptrend in real Philippine import demand
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- We no longer expect the SBV to restart cuts, with the worst-case tariff scenario looking less likely…
- …Plus, credit growth is already soaring and the authorities won’t want to risk rocking the VND further.
- Philippine household savings recovered more substantially in 2024, but the Covid hole remains huge.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
THE RBI—RIGHTLY—ISN’T BUYING THIS ‘RECOVERY’
- …CRACKS SHOWING IN THE EXPORT FRONT-LOADING STORY
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- The BoT yesterday left the policy rate steady after two consecutive cuts, in line with our expectation.
- The MPC’s worst fears at the April meeting have been averted, leading to an upgrade to its GDP call.
- We maintain that 1.75% is the terminal rate, though the risks are still clearly skewed to the downside.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Taiwan’s retail sales fell for a second straight month, because of a slump in vehicle sales...
- ...Reports suggest consumers are holding off purchases, hoping for a reduction in import tariffs.
- Malaysian inflation fell to its lowest in 51 months, due to a decline in services inflation.
Meekita Gupta (Asia Economost)Emerging Asia
- India’s flash PMIs for June were robust, but note they remain susceptible to huge downgrades…
- …And they’re still down year-over-year in Q2, indicating big downside risk to GDP forecasts.
- Other details show waning optimism over the long run, and downward pressure building on core CPI.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
A strong finish to India’s Q2, if June's flash PMIs hold
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Hit by free-falling electricity production.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Malaysian exports unexpectedly fell by 1.1% in May, because of subdued commodity demand…
- …Weak crude oil futures and declining LNG demand will continue to drag on exports in H2.
- Thai stocks are slumping amid new political turmoil; instability is a known risk, so expect no quick fixes.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Rightly unfazed, for now, by the upswing in oil prices.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- The BSP cut rates by another 25bp, to 5.25%, while slashing its 2025 inflation forecast to just 1.6%…
- …We expect two more reductions by year-end, a scenario Mr. Remolona implied is on the cards.
- The CBC is not under enough pressure to consider a rate cut; the surge in the TWD could change this.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Sticking to the gradualist approach, for now.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
