PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 10 March 2026

A decent, if unimpressive, start to the year for Indonesian retail sales

11 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor Oil price lands an instant punch in the Philippines and Vietnam

• The Philippines’ staggered fuel hikes won’t stop inflation from jumping above 3% this month…
• …Vietnam’s much larger adjustment bolsters our view that the SBV will hike rates at least once in H2.
• The modest pace of Indonesian retail sales growth is looking increasingly fragile once again.

EM Asia Datanote: Trade, Taiwan, February

• In one line: AI server growth moderating.

10 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor India and Indonesia will be backed into fuel hikes, but not yet rate hikes

• The spike and projected stickiness in oil prices due to the Middle East unrest is now material for Asia…
• …We’ve raised our 2026 inflation forecasts for India and Indonesia to 4.0% and 2.9%, respectively.
• Taiwan’s exports moderated in February amid Lunar New Year noise, but now face serious energy risk.

EM Asia Datanote: CPI, Taiwan, February

• In one line: Lunar New Year distortions.

PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 6 March 2026

Don’t stress about the February collapse in Vietnamese export growth
A disappointing Tet season for retail sales in Vietnam
Raising our 2026 average inflation forecast for Vietnam to 3.7%
Strong end-2025 momentum in Philippine sales carrying over to early-2025

9 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor Taiwan's disinflationary spell likely over, due to Middle East conflict

• Taiwanese CPI rose to 1.8% in February, but it’s just Lunar New Year noise; a bigger issue is at hand...
• … A likely increase in fuel prices will hit Q2 inflation, though we still expect no rate hike.
• Tet noise means that Vietnam’s ‘ weak’ February exports should be ignored; the hot CPI less so.

EM Asia Datanote: Retail Sales, Taiwan, January 2026

• In one line: Spending on big items is failing to recover.  

EM Asia Datanote: CPI, Thailand, February 2026

• In one line: Diesel fix still more than safe; shading our 2026 forecast.

EM Asia Datanote: Bank Negara Malaysia Decision, March 2026

• In one line: Members hold rates, but seem spooked by the Middle East crisis. 

PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 5 March 2026

Don’t read too much into the Lunar New Year noise in Singapore’s January sales
Returning food inflation drives Philippine inflation up higher; BSP target still safe

6 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor BNM maintains rates but is holding its breath on the Middle East

• BNM held rates at 2.75%, as expected, but its statement carried an unusually cautious tone.
• Singapore’s January retail sales were weaker than expected, but highly distorted by Lunar New Year.
• We raise our 2026 CPI call for the Philippines and cut that on Thailand; the difference is fuel policy.

PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 3 March 2026

Rising domestic and external demand lifting most boats in ASEAN

4 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor India--for now--can afford to shrug off the global oil-price surge to date

• We see no need yet to rethink our India CPI and rate calls, as fuel prices are already unnaturally high…
• …The clearer threat to CPI this year is the slowdown in agri growth; we see February inflation at 3.2%.
• The pre-Iran-war oil-price gains had barely any impact on industry in India and ASEAN.

EM Asia Datanote: IP, India, January 2026

• In one line: An understandable, and likely temporary, breather to start 2026.

3 March 2026 Emerging Asia Monitor Boost to Indonesian exports from oil spike still small compared to 2022

• Indonesian exports fell well short of expectations in January, with the commodities lift still subdued…
• …But this should change in H2, with prices set to lift growth above 10%, helping to rebuild the surplus.
• The breach of BI’s CPI target range in February is skin-deep, but we’ve upped our 2026 call to 2.7%.

PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 2 March 2026

No post-Ukraine-war like burst, yet, to expect from export growth
Underlying price pressures rising, but feel free to ignore the breach of BI’s range

EM Asia Datanote: GDP, India, Q4

• In one line: New series paints a more stable picture of recent years; ’statistical discrepancies’ no longer a bug-bear. 

EM Asia Datanote: Retail Sales, Thailand, December 2025

• In one line: Household momentum is rebuilding, but still nowhere near as fast as this absurd headline suggests.

PANTHEON EM ASIA DATA WRAP 27 February 2026

Ignore the y/y misses; lots to be reassured about in the Philippine trade details