- We’ve raised our 2024 average CPI forecast in India to 4.2%, in the wake of January’s upside surprise.
- Crucially, the core rate is still falling, showing the headline the way down, as food inflation wanes...
- ...We see no clash between falling core and ‘brisk’ GDP; RBI surveys back our suspicion of the latter.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Still waiting on the onion price correction to show in CPI; the trend in IP growth is clearly one of moderation.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Singaporean retail sales growth appears healthier than it actually is, due to the higher COE quota.
- Slowing wage growth in Malaysia will likely take its toll on consumer spending in late H1.
- The nascent turnaround in Philippine demand is just about intact, thanks to a resilient job market.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Cracks are emerging in the RBI’s unity
Discretionary spending over the holidays boosts Malaysian sales growth in December
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- The RBI’s MPC voted 5-to-1 to keep the repo rate at 6.50%, but Mr. Varma’s dissent is no real surprise.
- We still expect a Q2 cut; Q4 GDP likely will fall short of the MPC’s forecast and 4% inflation is imminent.
- The BoT stood pat on Wednesday, as expected, but telegraphed a big cut to its 2024 growth forecast.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Holding steady, just to prove a point.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
The H2 recovery in Philippine sales lost a lot of upward momentum in Q4
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Philippine inflation is now firmly within the BSP's 2-to-4% target range
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Philippine inflation is now below the mid-point of the BSP’s target range, bolstering our Q2 cut call.
- The Bank of Thailand will stand pat today, but the MPC’s pessimistic CPI views no longer hold water.
- We’re still waiting on the new weights for Indonesian CPI, but we continue to expect cuts to start in Q2.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Indonesian GDP growth rebounded slightly to 5.0% in Q4, from 4.9% in Q3, in line with expectations...
- ...But the uptick owes a lot to inventories, which can’t be relied on, with external demand still fragile.
- Private domestic demand ended 2023 softly; we still expect annual growth to slip to 4.8% this year.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Inventories hide a general slowdown in Indonesian private domestic demand in Q4
Jump in Singaporean vehicle sales in December was unable to offset weakness in other areas
The near-2% consensus for average Thai inflation this year is looking increasingly absurd
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- India interim budget for 2024/25, presented last week, sees a smaller—5.1% of GDP—deficit…
- …But consolidation will no longer benefit from post-Covid catch-up growth and high inflation.
- Investment has be en a real priority in recent years, but the problem of underspend is creeping in.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
An encouraging, but most likely temporary, bounce in ASEAN manufacturing
Yet another reassuring below-consensus drop in Indonesian core inflation
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: The run-up to 2024 was devoid of upward momentum.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Still-lofty growth remains very exposed to a further slowdown.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
The Philippines' slowdown resumes, but less dramatically than expected
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- GDP growth in the Philippines cooled only modestly in Q4 to 5.6%, from 6.0% in Q3...
- ...Trade and government spending were big drags, offset inconsequentially by inventories and noise.
- Fixed investment was the only real bright spot, but this is also benefiting still from the Covid catch-up.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- The MAS maintained the appreciative slope of its S$NEER policy band at its January meeting...
- ...As it reiterated the current elevated core inflation outlook, while downplaying growth concerns.
- We see the MAS digging in to rein in core inflation, maintaining the policy band for the rest of 2024.
Moorthy Krshnan (Senior Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Vietnam’s partial trade numbers for January point to a sharp monthly correction in two-way flows.
- The absolute retail sales numbers cast a lot of doubt over the supposedly gentle slide in growth.
- Headline inflation is likely to remain sticky in H1, but it should inevitably follow the core rate down.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Ignore the Tet noise, two-way trade started 2024 poorly
Retail sales had an abysmal January, too, leaving aside the rose-tinted headline
Headline stickiness is masking a persistent decline in core inflation
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
