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Business confidence in Singapore jumped to 83pts

3 reads

But global economic uncertainties linger. According to the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey, Singapore's business confidence improved from the previous reading of 61 to 83, with four still concerned about the global economy. Read ››

Here are depressing possible business threats from the Singapore haze

Jacky Tan
BY JACKY TAN
263 reads

This morning, I woke up from the smell of haze smoke; my throat went dry and my eyes become uncomfortable. Read ››

Singapore firms paying debts more promptly in 2013

60 reads

As economy makes a nascent rebound. The Singapore Commercial Credit Bureau noted that there has been a strong rebound in payment promptness of local firms from 2011’s two-year record low. Read ››

Taiwan's export orders to slip 1.6%

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Blame it on global PMI's slowdown in May. According to DBS, export orders(May) are due today and industrial production will be released next Monday. Read ››

Singapore's high net worth individuals now worth a combined $489 billion

288 reads

Impressive 11.5% increase from last year. Aside from the strong jump in wealth among Singapore high net worth individuals (HNWIs), the super-rich cohort also saw a strong increase in population as they now number 101k, up 10.3% from the previous year, according to the latest RBC Wealth Management & Capgemini World Wealth Report 2013. Read ››

China's FDI up a measly 0.3% to $9.26b in May

32 reads

Firms sought more overseas investments. According BBVA Research, China’s May FDI inflows amounted to $9.26 billion, reflecting a 0.3% y/y increase, the fourth straight month of positive year-over-year gains. Read ››

What you need to know about China's credit crunch

69 reads

It is getting uglier. According to UBS analyst Tao Wang, over the past 10 days, China’s short-term interbank interest rate rose to near record highs, coming down only somewhat in the last couple of days. Read ››

What every Singaporean investor needs to know about Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines to 2020

620 reads

The TIP of an iceberg? According to DBS, Southeast Asia is fast becoming a third growth force in emerging Asia, next to China and India. Read ››

Malaysia's inflation predicted to climb 1.8%

45 reads

Inflationary pressure has stayed benign, says analyst. According to DBS, inflation is expected to remain fairly stable in May. Read ››

Things you need to know right now about Singapore's May NODX

115 reads

It's worse than last month's drop. According to UOB Economic-Treasury Research, Singapore’s May non-oil domestic exports (NODX) contracted 4.6% y/y, worse than the 1.0% y/y decline seen a month ago and over-shooting consensus estimates of a milder 0.2% decline.  On an m/m SA basis, May’s NODX declined 1.1%, following the 1.1% expansion seen in April. Read ››

Fuel price hike looms in Indonesia

54 reads

25% of poorest families to get compensation. According to DBS, the government announced late last night that fuel price hikes have been approved. Read ››

2 reasons why NODX could make a rebound in coming months

79 reads

PMI and new export orders still rising. Singapore's non-oil domestic exports has stayed in the red for a fourth straight month in May 2013 as it fell by -4.6% YoY (Apr 2013: -1.0% YoY; Consensus: -0.2% YoY), mainly on weakness in electronic exports, noted Maybank Kim Eng. Read ››

NODX decline suggests Singapore is "drastically" losing competitiveness

584 reads

See why one economist thinks so. Commenting after the release of Singapore's April non-oil domestic exports, DBS economist Irvin Seah said that external demand is not that weak so the recent slip in NODX could suggest that "Singapore is losing its competitive edge drastically, thereby affecting its domestic exports, and hence the performance of its manufacturing sector." Here's the complete comment analysis from DBS: Read ››

Indonesia's inflation to hit 8.2%

67 reads

On the back of rising fuel prices. According to Barclays, Indonesia’s inflation is pegged to hit 8.2% by year-end on the planned fuel price hikes. Read ››

Australia churns out more jobs in May

73 reads

Better-than-expected result reduces rate cut possibility. According to BBVA, Australia unexpectedly created more jobs in May, reducing the likelihood of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) at its next policy meeting on July 2. Read ››

Philippines' merchandise exports fell 12.8% in April

83 reads

8 in 10 top markets declined. According to Maybank Kim Eng, following a slight 0.2% YoY increase in March, merchandise exports contracted 12.8% in April (USD4.04b) to bring the decline YTD to 7.9% (USD16.1b).  Here's more: Read ››

Indonesia's revenue growth sluggish at 5.7% in 4M13

113 reads

Here's what to blame. According to DBS, pressure on the budget has been building as revenues and expenditures get pulled in different directions.  Revenue growth has been slow, averaging just 5.7% YoY in the first four months of the year and we suspect that depressed commodity prices have a large role to play as economic growth still held above 6%. Read ››

Malaysia's 2013 inflation forecast dipped to 2%

153 reads

But inflation is pegged to to rise to 2.5%. DBS has lowered our inflation forecasts for 2013 and 2014 to 2.0% and 2.4% respectively.  These are down from our earlier estimates of 2.8% and 3.2%. Read ››

Why Bank of Korea is expected to hold rates steady at 2.5%

65 reads

As GDP forecast is pegged to hit 0.8%. According to DBS, the Bank of Korea is expected to hold rates steady at 2.50% when they meet tomorrow. Read ››

Malaysia's inflation to hit 2%

64 reads

Inflationary pressure has stayed benign. According to DBS, it has lowered its inflation forecasts for 2013 and 2014 to 2.0% and 2.4% respectively.  Here's more: Read ››

Here's what happens next after Philippines' impressive 7.8% GDP

112 reads

Slower growth forecast for next year. According to UBS Investment Research, Philippines real GDP famously outpaced all the larger economies in Asia, including China, in Q1 2013. Read ››

Singapore nominal wage growth to hover at 4-5% in 2013: OCBC

171 reads

Will lkely outpace headline inflation. "We anticipate nominal wage growth to remain around 4-5% in 2013, but headline inflation to subside slightly to around 3% handle, suggesting that real wage growth could revert to positive growth again," said OCBC in its Weekly Macro views report. Read ››

Malaysia's industrial production predicted to jump 2.8%

46 reads

Thanks to low base effect. According to DBS, industrial production index for Apr13 today will likely surprise on the upside. Read ››

3 reasons behind Chinese export growth's sharp decline to 1%

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Will it recover in Q3? According to UBS Investment Research, May export growth dropped significantly and such weakness is expected to delay the overall recovery until Q3 2013. Read ››

Malaysia's domestic growth feared to drop in the coming quarters

92 reads

Growth expectation also down to 5%. According to DBS, they have lowered growth expectation for 2013 to 5.0%, down from 5.5% previously. Read ››

Why analysts expect a dismal growth from Taiwan for 2013

81 reads

GDP forecast slipped to 2.6%. According to DBS, GDP forecast for 2013 has been lowered further to 2.6% from 3.3%. The 2Q growth appears weaker than expected. Read ››

Korea's GDP growth forecast tweaked down to 2.8%

63 reads

Is it a good sign? According to DBS, GDP growth forecasts have been tweaked to 2.8% for 2013 (from 3.0%) and 4.0% for 2014 (from 3.9%).  DBS is still comfortable about the relative performance of Korean exports, despite a challenging global environment and the threat of JPY weakness. Read ››

Taiwan's GDP pegged to hit 2.6%

51 reads

Recovery to be delayed to 2014. According to DBS, its GDP forecast for 2013 has been lowered further to 2.6% from 3.3%. The 2Q growth appears weaker than expected. Read ››

China deems its financial system "healthy"

87 reads

Lending and shadow banking risks still "manageable". BBVA notes that the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has released its annual financial stability report, stressing that, despite rising risks from lending in the real estate sector and growth of shadow banking, the overall financial system remains healthy. Read ››

Singapore's economic output beats pre-financial crisis level by 20%

133 reads

Very resilient economy indeed. According to Moody's, Singapore has demonstrated a very high degree of resilience to global financial shocks, despite the openness of its economy, its dependence on global trade and finance, and its spatial and resource constraints. Read ››

Taiwan's export growth predicted to slip 0.8%

73 reads

PMI has also been disappointing. According to DBS, the outlook for export demand remains challenging. Read ››

Why causes of China's economic slowdown are being misconstrued

98 reads

Is there a need for more policies? According to DBS, the focus of the market on China economic indicators is somewhat too narrow. Read ››

Taiwan's export growth pegged to dip 0.8%

163 reads

Here's why the outlook remains challenging. According to DBS, Taiwan’s external trade data for May (due today) will likely show export growth has stayed slightly negative at -0.8% YoY. Read ››

Why Singapore's 2-3% labour productivity target is 'ambitious'

136 reads

Historical productivity growth shows the reasons. According to Moody's, they consider as ambitious the Singapore government's aim to increase labor productivity by 2% to 3% every year until 2020, and 1% to 2% between 2020 and 2030.  Moody's also said that this is given the historical productivity growth in other advanced economies, which ranged from -0.4% to 3.2% per year between 2000 and 2010, and because Singapore's overall productivity decreased by 2.6% last year. Read ››

Philippines' GDP pegged to hit 6.4%

73 reads

It's still on an 'extended sweet spot of growth'. According to DBS, its 2013 GDP growth forecast been revised up to 6.4% from 6.0% previously on the back stronger-than-expected 1Q numbers. Read ››

Singapore's GDP growth to bounce back to 3% this year: Moody's

110 reads

But it'll be a slow process. According to the report, Moody's expects Singapore's real GDP growth to recover only slowly, to 3% in 2013 and 3.5% in 2014, from 1.3% in 2012. Read ››

Thailand's inflation forecast dipped to 2.9%

54 reads

Will it remain muted for the rest of the year? Read ››

Australia Q1 GDP growth disappoints at 0.6%

92 reads

Feeling the pinch of a mining slowdown. According to BBVA, Australian GDP growth registered 0.6% q/q sa (consensus: 0.8%), broadly flat from Q4 2012, which the research group said is adding to signs that the waning mining boom is dampening investment spending. Read ››

How to create effective and productive meetings in Singapore

Ray Bigger
BY RAY BIGGER
441 reads

Companies around the world agree. If their key systems were as ineffective as their meetings they would be out of business! Read ››

Why China is an important market among global export traders

87 reads

It's big on domestic demand. Its export According to UBS Investment Research, China’s economy is the second largest one in the world and the fastest growing large one, but its “true” importance for the global economy is often questioned. Read ››