East Asia and Pacific: Countries Must Act Now to Mitigate Economic Shock of COVID-19
March 30, 2020--The virus that triggered a supply shock in China has now caused a global shock. Developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), recovering from trade tensions and struggling with COVID-19, now face the prospect of a global financial shock and recession.
Sound macroeconomic policies and prudent financial regulation have equipped most EAP countries to deal with normal tremors. But we are witnessing an unusual combination of disruptive and mutually reinforcing events. Significant economic pain seems unavoidable in all countries. Countries must take action now-including urgent investments in healthcare capacity and targeted fiscal measures-to mitigate some of the immediate impacts, according to East Asia and Pacific in the Time of COVID-19, the World Bank's April 2020 Economic Update for East Asia and the Pacific.
view the World Bank-East Asia and the Pacific in the Time of COVID-19-Regional Economic Update, April 2020
Source: World Bank
SET ensures stability of the Thai capital market amid global high volatility
March 23, 2020--Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President at The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) said SET group has prudently employed a series of measures to mitigate contagion risk caused by the widespread of COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the orderly functioning and stability of SET, Market for Alternative Investment (mai),
Thailand Futures Exchange PCL (TFEX), Thailand Clearing House Co., Ltd. (TCH), and Thailand Securities Depository Co., Ltd. (TSD), in the situation of heightened volatility in the global and domestic financial and capital markets.
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Source: The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)
Philippine stock market suspends trade as coronavirus spreads
March 16, 2020--The Philippine Stock Exchange suspended trade indefinitely on Tuesday, citing the safety of traders and staff in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move, which was announced by the exchange overnight and takes effect Tuesday, is part of a broader quarantine ordered by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to curb the outbreak.
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Source: Reuters
IMF Staff Country Report-Australia: Selected Issues
March 5, 2020--Why has business investment slowed down in Australia?1
As in many advanced economies, non-mining business investment in Australia has slowed down since the global financial crisis, weighing on productivity growth.
Long-term empirical and simulation-based analyses suggest that global factors such as rising policy uncertainty and weaker commodity prices have been key drivers of the slowdown, while in the short term, a renewed escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions could spill over to investment and growth in Australia.
Yet, domestic factors are also at play, including domestic policy uncertainty and financial constraints, especially for smaller and younger firms. The pace of product market reforms can also impact business investment. Australia can promote business investment by reducing domestic policy uncertainty (for example, in energy policy), easing credit constraints for small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), incentivizing R&D, and continuing with product market and tax reforms.
view the IMF Staff Country Report-Australia: Selected Issues
Source: IMF
Malaysia: A Flourishing Fintech Ecosystem
February 28, 2020-In Malaysia, where annual economic growth has averaged just under 5 percent over the past five years, fintech is a part of everyday life. It is rapidly becoming a central part of the country's financial sector, with considerable promise for expansion, according to new IMF analysis.
With its growing middle class, high mobile phone penetration rates, and strong government support for the digital economy, Malaysia is well situated to take advantage of fintech innovation. From mobile wallets and electronic payments, to crowdfunding and “insurtech” (the combination of insurance and technology)
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Source: IMF
Among the Best Performers in the Market's Rout: Chinese Stocks
February 27, 2020--Worries about the coronavirus epidemic haven't kept investors away from shares of Chinese companies
Growing fears about the coronavirus epidemic have sent stocks around the world diving in February. But some regions have held up better than others.
In fact, an exchange-traded fund tracking shares in mainland China-where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated-has raced past its counterparts in much of the world.
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Source: wsj.com
Chinese and Indian cities most at risk from rising sea levels
February 27, 2020--Sunk cost will take on a new meaning if large-scale investments are deluged.
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Source: FT.com
Japan's Economy Shrinks 6.3% as Sales-Tax Increase Cools Consumption
February 17, 2020--Following a dismal final quarter of 2019, Japan's economy is facing the risk of a recession because the coronavirus outbreak is hurting tourism and production.
Japan, the world's third-largest economy after the U.S. and China contracted at an annualized rate of 6.3% in the October-December quarter, worse than economists' forecast of a 3.9% contraction.
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Source: wsj.com
BetaShares Australian ETF Review-January 2020
February 12, 2020--INDUSTRY STARTS THE YEAR WITH A BANG!
The relentless growth the Australian ETF industry has experienced shows no sign of abating, with the industry starting the new year with a bang! After closing 2019 at ˜$62B in assets under management (AUM), the industry finished the first month of 2020 at $66B, growing $4.2B over the month (6.8% MoM growth)-the largest absolute monthly growth on record and the fastest % monthly growth in over four years.
Market cap
ASX Exchange Traded Product Market Cap: $66.0B-New industry record
Market cap increase for month: 6.8%, +$4.2B-Largest absolute monthly growth on record, fastest % monthly growth in >4 years
Market cap growth for the last 12 months: 55%, + $23.5B-Greatest absolute growth over 12-mth period
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Source: betashares.com.au
Japan: Demographic Shift Opens Door to Reforms
February 10, 2020--Japan's population is aging and shrinking fast. With a median age of 48.4 years, Japan's population is the world's oldest. The government of Japan projects that there will be almost one elderly person for each person of working age by 2060.
Over the same 40-year span, Japan's current population of 127 million will shrink by over a quarter-a population loss equivalent to the entire population of Malaysia or Peru. This accelerated speed of aging and shrinking of its population places Japan at the leading edge of global demographic change, posing economic and other challenges for the country.
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Source: IMF
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