Currencies

The death of Shinzo Abe, right, has robbed a powerful faction in the ruling LDP of its leader and could give Prime Minister Fumio Kishida more freedom to pursue his own agenda. (Nikkei montage/Uichiro Kasai/Ken Kobayashi/Tetsuya Kitayama)
Market Spotlight

Kishida emerges from Abe's shadow, but markets await policy details

Japanese PM's promise of 'new capitalism' leaves investors scratching their heads

18 July 2022
A bank employee ties stacks of kyat together in Yangon. The Myanmar currency has weakened since the military took control of the country in 2021, now trading for around 2,190 to the dollar on the street.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar revokes foreign company exemption from currency rules

International businesses need to convert deposits into kyat, central bank says

15 July 2022
Malaysia's central bank governor told the media in May that the bank needed to start recalibrating interest rates.
Currencies

Malaysia raises key rate again to 2.25% amid COVID recovery

Central bank keeps rate hike at 25 basis points despite inflation

6 July 2022
A worker cuts meat at a restaurant in Seoul. The Bank of Korea will determine whether an interest rate hike in July will help tame inflation.
Inflation

South Korea inflation hit nearly 24-year high in June

CPI climbed 6%, heaping pressure on President Yoon and big manufacturers

5 July 2022
Mahathir Mohamad was Malaysia's prime minister during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when he took the controversial decision to defy IMF advice on how to manage the situation. (Source photo by Tetsuya Kitayama) 
Market Spotlight

Mahathir: Deeper currency markets have cut risk of Asian financial crisis repeat

But former Malaysian PM says Sri Lanka is a lesson to region's governments

4 July 2022
The Thai baht's plunge on July 2, 1997, touched off the Asian financial crisis. Twenty-five years later, the region's resilience is being put to the test.
Economy

COVID, inflation stress-test Asia 25 years after financial crisis

Risks simmer in smaller economies as debt burden swells

2 July 2022
The yen depreciated to the 137-per-dollar range on June 29, a level last seen in September 1998.
Currencies

Yen briefly dips into 137-range against dollar for fresh 24-year low

Disparity between Fed hawks and BOJ doves spurs sales of Japan's currency

30 June 2022
Cars are seen stuck in a traffic jam in Yangon. The Myanmar government stopped issuing car import permits in October last year. 
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar blocks car, luxury imports amid foreign-currency crunch

Military seeks to balance trade by slashing nonessential purchases

23 June 2022
The yen has sunk beyond 136 to the dollar for the first time in 24 years. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa)
Comment

It's 1998 again in Japan as election nears and yen softens

Economic impact of Putin's war in Ukraine hangs over upcoming vote

23 June 2022
The yen has softened beyond 136 to the dollar for the first time in 24 years.
Currencies

BOJ's fight to defend yield cap feeds weak yen cycle

Speculators sell JGBs, waiting for Kuroda to capitulate amid inflation

23 June 2022
The Japanese yen recently hit a 24-year low against the dollar. 
Economy

46% in Japan want BOJ to halt ultraloose policy: Nikkei poll

PM Kishida's approval rating falls sharply as inflation bites households

20 June 2022
Chinese mobile payment apps WeChat Pay and Alipay are gaining users throughout Southeast Asia, prompting interest in government-issued digital currencies.
Economy

Philippines, Vietnam study digital currencies as Alipay, WeChat Pay spread

More Southeast Asian countries moving in the direction of early issuer Cambodia

17 June 2022
Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda: All eyes are on him.
Opinion

Yen's slide toward 150 suddenly seems inevitable

Parallels to the 1997 Asian financial crisis are obvious

15 June 2022
High-value-added exports like cars tend not to decline in price when the yen weakens. (Photo by Yukihiro Takefuta)
Markets

Weak yen turns from boon to bane for Japanese stocks

Japan's share in global exports has halved since 1998 as production moves offshore

14 June 2022
The Japanese yen fell past 135 versus the dollar on the way to hitting a 24-year low on Monday. (Photo by Karina Nooka)
Currencies

Yen falls past 135 to hit 24-year low versus dollar

Japanese currency keeps weakening despite BOJ, government concerns

13 June 2022
The Aussie dollar has fallen in value against its American counterpart despite a surprisingly large interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Market Spotlight

Australian dollar: the currency that can't catch a break

U.S. rate rises and China growth fears overshadow booming commodities prices

13 June 2022
Higher costs for imported wheat and other ingredients have led to a stronger outflow of household income from Japan.
Economy

Japan bleeds $85bn from costly commodities and weak yen

Declining terms of trade put pressure on companies to plan new price hikes

12 June 2022
Europe's support for wider global use of the yuan undermines future sanctions in case of a conflict over Taiwan.
Opinion

Growing European preference for China's currency is risky

IMF decision to increase its yuan reserves has significant geopolitical implications

12 June 2022
The Bank of Japan, Tokyo.  "The government and the Bank of Japan will closely cooperate and closely monitor developments in the foreign exchange market and their impact on the economy and prices with an increased sense of urgency," Japan's top financial authorities say.
Economy

Japan government, BOJ express concern over yen's rapid fall

Rare joint statement comes after currency hits 20-year low against U.S. dollar

10 June 2022
The yen is approaching exchange rates not seen since the Asian financial crisis.
Finance

Japan still stuck in negative yields as ECB joins rate hike revival

With two- and five-year rates underwater, yen is on slippery slope

10 June 2022
Piti Disyatat, secretary of Thailand's monetary policy committee, says four committee members voted to stand pat "to ensure that the recovery will continue to gain traction." (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Economy

Bank of Thailand keeps rate steady at 0.5% despite inflation fears

Board approves decision in 4-3 vote; 2022 inflation projection raised to 6.2%

8 June 2022
Myanmar bank notes. The country has introduced rules requiring businesses and individuals to exchange foreign currency for kyat.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar to exempt foreign companies from forced currency exchanges

Central bank briefs banking officials on loosening of rule that has created uncertainty

8 June 2022
The value of the yen approached 133 to the dollar during trading on June 7. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Currencies

Yen becomes lone loser on flight to higher-yielding dollar, euro

Sell-off continues on widening interest rate gaps, high oil prices

8 June 2022
Rising U.S. interest rates and high crude oil prices are factors in the yen's declines.
Currencies

Yen falls to 132 against dollar, hitting 20-year low

Analysts see few factors able to halt the yen's slide

7 June 2022
The Indian rupee suffered its fifth monthly decline in a row in May, amid relentless selling by foreign institutional investors, slowing economic growth, and a spike in inflation.
Market Spotlight

The droopy rupee: Can India's currency be revived?

Central bank rate rise expected this week as inflation menaces economy

6 June 2022