Markets

China’s GDP growth rate is decelerating, due to international headwinds, property markets and local debt. Nevertheless, China’s long-term potential remains impressive, as reflected by the new growth target. As the 5,000 members of the two sessions – the National People's...

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) decision to embark on his first official overseas visit has been overshadowed by domestic controversy. The planned meet-and-greet with the leaders of Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines seemed to be a way of escaping the...

EM is starting the week on its back foot, continuing the trend seen for most of this past month.  The dollar is making multi-year highs against many EM currencies, including BRL, COP, MXN, TRY, ZAR, IDR, and SGD.  MSCI EM...

Over the last week, Egypt (+2.4%), Korea (+0.8%), and India (+0.7%) have outperformed in the EM equity space as measured by MSCI, while Brazil (-9.4%), Colombia (-8.0%), and Turkey (-7.7%) have underperformed.  To put this in better context, MSCI EM...

Despite poor weather that appears to have effected other February data, the US jobs report is stronger than expected.  The economy grew 295k net new jobs, nearly all accounted for by the private sector (+288k). Some of the other details were...

As China appears to be flirting with the middle income trap, the old development model is becoming increasingly unworkable. In its place, the ‘new normal’ is emerging as a valuable notion. But to work it needs increased corporate competition, integrated...

Japan’s work-life imbalance kills thousands of workers every year and it’s also partly to blame for the nation’s disastrously low birth rate and declining productivity. The Government is taking steps to change the culture, but is it too deep-rooted? Japan’s...

China’s international energy investments and acquisitions have drawn much interest from foreign observers. Some analysts tend to believe that it represents a national energy procurement strategy driven by the central government. China’s international energy investments and acquisitions have drawn much...

In the past decade the worldwide yoga industry has become a multi-billion-dollar business. Yet, ironically, the one country where yoga does not yet thrive commercially is the very place from which yoga is thought to originate: India. Why should this...

On 25 February, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened the first meeting of a new special advisory council, the Commission on a Framework for the 21st Century. The rather ambiguously and grandiosely named council is to meet with him over...

As long as the labor market remains resilient and structural reforms deepen, the living standards of individual Chinese will continue to rise fast. China's central bank cut the benchmark deposit and loan interest rates by 25 basis points from Sunday,...

The differences between Eurozone members tend to be a key focus for investors and policy makers.  There is another fissure which is typically is under-appreciated.  It is within Germany itself and not discussed in polite company.  It is the divide...

EM assets are starting the week mixed, as markets await fresh signals for trading. Between the various central bank meetings in developed markets (BOE, ECB, RBA, and BOC) and the US non-farm payrolls, there are plenty of sources of volatility....

When China’s President Xi Jinping took up his position in 2012, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) lacked political leadership. His predecessor, Hu Jintao, had lost control of political power long before holding the 18th Party Congress. The result was a...

Recent debates on meritocracy raise questions as to what Singapore regards as merit. Several concepts have emerged reflecting how meritocracy is evolving in the Singaporean context, such as ‘compassionate meritocracy’, ‘trickle up meritocracy’ and ‘meritocracy through life’. The 50th anniversary...