MAS to end weeks of speculation with policy statement release on October 14

To ease or not to ease?

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will release its bi-annual Monetary Policy Statement on October 14, the central bank revealed today.

The upcoming MPS will end weeks of speculation on whether or not the MAS will ease its policy stance. The MAS had last eased its policy in January this year, in an off-cycle move that caught markets by surprise.

In its most recent policy statement in April, the central bank kept policy on hold, citing stable inflation and economic conditions.

In recent months, however, Singapore has suffered a slew of weak economic data, coupled with persistent negative inflation.

These conditions have pushed some analysts to speculate that the MAS will ease policy again to counter the country's economic slowdown.