To read the full report, data and graphs go to http://www.asianbondsonline.adb.org/newsletters/abowdh20160418.pdf?src=newsletter&id=uWidK3KdmgXVUWes9IgIcqKp1miwxx
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News Highlights - Week of 11 - 15 April 2016
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) real gross
domestic product (GDP) growth rate slowed to 6.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the
first quarter (Q1) of 2016 from 6.8% y-o-y in the fourth quarter (Q4) of
2015. The decline was driven by a
slowdown in growth in all three major GDP categories. Other economic indicators in the PRC showed
improvement however. The growth rate of
industrial production rose to 5.8% y-o-y in Q1 2016 from 5.4% y-o-y in
January–February. Investment in fixed
assets also showed improvement, with the growth rate accelerating to 10.7%
y-o-y in Q1 2016 from 10.2% in January–February. Exports also gained, posting growth of 11.5%
y-o-y in March, reversing February’s 25.4% y-o-y contraction. Meanwhile, the
decline in imports slowed, with a negative growth rate of 7.6% y-o-y in March
versus a negative growth rate of 13.8% y-o-y in February.
* On 14 April,
the Monetary Authority of Singapore set the rate of appreciation of the
Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate policy band at zero. The
monetary authority also kept unchanged both the width of the policy band and
the level at which it is centered. On 15 April, Bank Indonesia announced that
it will shift its policy rate from the current Bank Indonesia reference rate to
the 7-day repo rate. The new policy rate will take effect on 19 August.
* Singapore’s
real GDP growth stood at 1.8% y-o-y in Q1 2016, the same pace of growth as in
Q4 2015. Industrial production growth in Malaysia slightly rose to 3.9% y-o-y
in February from 3.2% y-o-y in January. Manufacturing production in the
Philippines in February posted 8.4% y-o-y growth in terms of volume and 2.8%
y-o-y growth in terms of value.
* The PRC’s
consumer prices rose 2.3% y-o-y in March, the same pace as in February.
* Indonesia reported
a trade surplus amounting to USD497 million in March, compared with USD1,136
million a month earlier. Exports contracted 13.5% y-o-y in March to USD11.8
billion and imports fell 10.4% y-o-y to USD11.3 billion. In the Philippines, merchandise exports fell
4.5% y-o-y in February—the 11th consecutive month of y-o-y decline—as five out
of ten major export items recorded y-o-y decreases.
* Foreign
investors’ net bond investment into the Republic of Korea turned positive in
March—amounting to KRW0.6 trillion for the month—a reversal from net bond sales
of KRW4.2 trillion in February. Foreign
portfolio investments in the Philippines recorded net inflows of USD482 million
in March, up from USD58 million in February, amid foreign investors’ positive
sentiment and rising interest in Philippine government securities.
* Korea
Resources Corporation priced a USD500 million 5-year bond last week with a
2.25% coupon and yield of 2.27%. Kia
Motors raised USD700 million from a dual-tranche USD-denominated bond sale last
week, pricing a USD400 million 5-year bond on a 2.625% coupon and a USD300
million 10-year bond on a 3.25% coupon.
* Yields rose
for all tenors in the PRC as recent economic data showed strengthening in the
economy and in the Republic of Korea.
Yields rose for most tenors in Hong Kong, China and Singapore, following
a rise in yields in the US, and in Thailand. Yields fell for all tenors in
Indonesia, following news of Bank Indonesia’s plan to change its policy rate
benchmark, and for most tenors in Malaysia and the Philippines. The 2-year
versus 10-year yield spread rose in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, the Republic
of Korea, and Thailand and fell for the rest of emerging East Asia.
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