Manufacturing activity kicked into a higher gear in Southeast Asia as nations overcame Omicron-led virus outbreaks while factories in the euro area saw demand increase. Thailand’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to a record in February, while the Philippines rebounded to its highest in three years, according to IHS Markit. Vietnam and Malaysia also improved. […]
Read More(Bloomberg) — Economists have brought forward their expectations on when some central banks in Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia and Malaysia, will raise their benchmark rates as they battle inflation. Some policy makers are shifting their focus toward battling inflation as it becomes a risk to their pandemic recoveries. Prices of key commodities, which had […]
Read More[BANGKOK] Investors firmed their bullish stance on most Asian currencies over the past two weeks, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday (Feb 24), with long bets on the Thai baht more than tripling on hopes of an economic recovery amid risks from geopolitics and the pandemic. The poll of 12 market participants showed long positions […]
Read MoreUOB’s research team expects Asean central banks to start lifting off only nearer to the second half of 2022, compared to global peers who have already begun tightening rates. In a note on Thursday (Feb 24), the team said the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and Philippines’ central bank Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will impose […]
Read MoreHong Kong has submitted an application to join the 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, a mega trade agreement involving countries such as Thailand, Japan and South Korea, the government said on Wednesday. The move would expand Hong Kong’s free trade with Japan and South Korea, both of which the government has yet to reach […]
Read MoreMANILA, Philippines — Asian economies should keep their debts in check as they may find it difficult to overcome financial threats during the pandemic, a former senior manager at the World Bank Treasury said. In a study titled “Debt management capacity: a tale of three Asias,” former World Bank executive Phillip Anderson said Asian countries […]
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Thailand
