Asia Week Ahead - PMI Reports, Inflation Figures, and Trade Data
For the week ahead in Asia, markets will be focused on multiple Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) releases covering manufacturing activity across the region.The week opened busy with PMI readings across Asia.The rest of the week will bring more PMI reports, trade data, inflation numbers, and a rate decision in India.MONDAY, AUG. 3China's RatingDog General Manufacturing PMI compiled by S&P Global came in at 50.9 compared with 51.7 in the previous month.Japan and Taiwan's factory activity, compiled by S&P Global, expanded at a softer rate in July to a respective 54.5 and 55.1, while India's HSBC PMI eased to 53.5 in the month.Elsewhere, South Korea and Thailand's PMI rose at a faster rate to 53.1 and 54.2, respectively, while Malaysia maintained its PMI at 50.7, according to S&P Global.Meanwhile, corporate morale among Thai businesses rose slightly in July, with the headline Business Sentiment Index (BSI) coming in at 46.7 points, compared with 46.1 points in June.Indonesia's annual inflation rate stood at 2.88% in July, with a Consumer Price Index of 111.73. The economy also saw a trade deficit of $450 million in June.TUESDAY, AUG. 4South Korea's inflation will likely ease to a 2.9% year-over-year increase in July from a 3.2% rise in June, according to a poll of 11 WSJ economists.The lower projected inflation will reportedly result from a drop in energy prices and electricity tariffs.Meanwhile, Hong Kong will release retail sale numbers.WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5A number of data releases are scheduled for Wednesday.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to keep its repo rate steady at 5.25%, according to experts at ING.India's inflation in the June quarter was lower than forecasts, eliminating the need for immediate rate increases, the Wall Street Journal reported citing analysts from Citi Research. ANZ Research, however, forecasts a 25-basis-point hike in December, the WSJ said.The Bank of Japan will also publish the minutes of its June meeting where it hiked rates to a three-decade high of 1%.Trading Economics forecasts Japan's S&P global composite PMI for July to rise to 53.1 and global services PMI to ease to 51.9. Singapore's July global PMI will likely ease to 57.China and India will also see July services and composite PMI reports from S&P and HSBC.Elsewhere, Singapore's retail sales may increase at a faster rate of 4.8% year over year in June from 3% in May, according to a Trading Economics estimate.Thailand and the Philippines will report inflation figures.Meanwhile Barclays is forecasting a second-quarter GDP growth of 5.7% for Indonesia, the WSJ reported.THURSDAY, AUG. 6ING economists expect inflation in Taiwan to ease to 2.4% year over year in July.The Philippines will release industrial production data.FRIDAY, AUG. 7China is projected to see a trade surplus of $112.6 billion in July, according to experts at ING. Exports and imports are expected to rise 28.1% and 33.6%, respectively, year over year.Trade will be driven primarily by technology niches, according to ING.Taiwan's trade surplus is forecast to increase to $15.2 billion by ING economists, with exports and imports rising 43.6% and 56.4% year over year.Thailand will report consumer confidence data on Friday, while the Philippines will release GDP numbers for the second quarter.SUNDAY, AUG. 9Trading Economics forecasts China's inflation rate to ease to 0.9% in July, meanwhile annual producer inflation is expected to accelerate to 4.3%.
