Despite the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) maintaining its policy rates at an all-time low 2.50% at its recent January 2013 meeting, growth in business credit remains weak. Housing-related credit has remained on its upward trajectory, and this has increased the possibility of the central bank hiking rates to cool the market. However, until other sectors of economy show similar... 2013-02-04

Mid-April saw Chinese 'big four' lender Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announce plans to make the first investment by a mainland Chinese bank in a Taiwanese lender. ICBC is set to snap-up 20% of Bank SinoPac after a recent regulatory change raised the ceiling for Chinese investments in Taiwanese financial institutions as cross-strait integration deepens. Broadly... 2013-05-02

India is in the process of reshaping its gas pricing methodology. The aim of the reform is to allow gas producers sufficient margin to increase output and avoid nationwide energy shortages. The final decision will be difficult as a fast rise in gas prices could create stagflationary pressure on the country's economy, which remains mired in a soft patch. We believe that while rolling... 2013-05-03

Contrary to initial reports, President Thein Sein handed over the position of chairman of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to Speaker of the Lower House Shwe Mann just a few days after the party's national assembly in October 2012. According to the recent revelations, announced by Shwe Mann at the party's youth assembly on May 1, even top party officials were unaware... 2013-05-07

Singapore's March trade performance signified that a moderate export recovery is likely in the works, with a monstrous jump in pharmaceutical shipments in particular suggesting that the retrenchment in the volatile biomedical category has begun to recede. Nevertheless, exports continue to decline in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, and a weak Q113 GDP growth print in China suggests that... 2013-05-03