FW: AsianBondsOnline Newsletter (6 November 2017)

To read the full report, data and graphs go to
http://asianbondsonline.adb.org/newsletters/abowdh20171106.pdf?src=newslet
ter&id=uWidK3KdmgXVUWes9IgIcqKp1miwxx

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News Highlights - Week of 30 October - 3 November 2017

The People's Republic of China's (PRC) manufacturing Purchasing Managers
Index (PMI) fell to 51.6 in October from 52.4 in September due largely to
declines in the new orders subindex and the production subindex. The PRC's
nonmanufacturing PMI also experienced a slowdown, falling to 54.3 from
55.4 in the same period. In Singapore, the PMI posted a reading of 52.6 in
October, the highest since December 2009, on the back of growth in most
manufacturing segments.

* Industrial production in Japan fell 1.1% month-on-month (m-o-m) in
September, a reversal from the 2.0% m-o-m growth posted in August. On a
year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, industrial production in Japan rose 2.5% in
September. In Viet Nam, industrial production growth surged 8.0% m-o-m in
October as all major subindexes posted positive growth. On a y-o-y basis,
industrial production rose 17.0%.

* The Bank of Japan announced that it would continue its
"qualitative and quantitative monetary easing with yield curve control"
program during its monetary policy meeting on 30-31 October. The central
bank stated that the domestic economy is expected to continue its
expansion supported by accommodative financial conditions and the
government's stimulus measures.

* Indonesia's consumer price inflation declined to 3.6% y-o-y in
October on slower price increases in some food items. In Viet Nam,
consumer price inflation eased to 3.0% y-o-y, largely due to a drop in
food prices. In the Republic of Korea, consumer price inflation eased in
October to 1.8% y-o-y as six out of twelve commodity groups posted slower
annual increases. In Thailand, consumer price inflation was 0.9% y-o-y in
October, unchanged from September.

* The Republic of Korea's exports rose 7.1% y-o-y to USD45.0 billion
in October while imports rose at a slightly faster pace of 7.4% y-o-y to
USD37.7 billion. Exports in Viet Nam climbed to USD19.4 billion in October
on growth of 26.0% y-o-y, while imports fell to USD18.5 billion on growth
of 16.7% y-o-y. Malaysia's exports rose 14.8% y-o-y in September to reach
MYR78.3 billion and imports rose 15.2% y-o-y to post MYR69.7 billion.
Thailand's merchandise exports expanded 13.4% y-o-y in September after
growing 15.8% y-o-y in August, while merchandise import growth slowed to
6.5% y-o-y from 14.3% y-o-y.

* The Republic of Korea's current account surplus widened to USD12.2
billion in September from USD6.1 billion in August. The larger surplus was
driven by the expanding goods account surplus, which rose to USD15.0
billion from USD9.3 billion. Thailand's current account surplus rose in
September to USD6.3 billion from USD4.7 billion in August. The rise mainly
came from an increase in the trade surplus to USD5.4 billion in September
from USD3.4 billion in August.

* Last week, local currency government bond yields fell for most
tenors in Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,
and Viet Nam. Bond yields rose for all tenors in the PRC, and for most
tenors in the Philippines. Yield movements in Hong Kong, China were mixed.
The yield spread between the 2- and 10-year tenors narrowed for most
emerging East Asian markets except for the PRC, the Republic of Korea, the
Philippines, and Viet Nam.

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