India's HSBC Manufacturing PMI eased to 54.2 in June 2026 from 55.0 in May, revised lower from the preliminary reading of 54.5, signaling the second-weakest improvement in factory activity since mid-2022.Growth in output and new orders slowed to among the weakest rates in four years, while export o…
Job creation in the U.S. is expected to have been robust in June, likely leaving inflation to take the drivers' seat in shaping the Federal Reserve's policy path, Russell Investments' BeiChen Lin says in a note. "If the labor market continues to remain solid, inflation will likely prove to be the m…
Indonesia's rice output in the first eight months of this year is expected to be 25.28 million metric tons, down just 0.05% from the same period last year, the statistics bureau said on Wednesday.The bureau said Indonesia is expected to experience drier weather in July and August due to the El Nino…
Japan's consumer confidence index climbed to 33.8 in June 2026 from 33.6 in May, but remained below market forecasts of 34.0.It was the highest reading since February, with sentiment improving across almost all major categories: overall livelihood (32.0 vs 30.2 in May), employment prospects (38.4 v…
By Kimberley KaoGauges of factory activity in Asia largely rose to close out the first half of the year, driven by a global surge in artificial-intelligence hardware demand. However, mounting cost pressures and disparities in the AI boom cloud the outlook.S&P Global purchasing managers indexes rele…
Indonesia's tax office said on Wednesday it has asked e-commerce marketplaces Tokopedia, Shopee, Lazada and Blibli to collect income taxes from sellers based on sales on the platforms.
India's manufacturing sector expanded at its second-slowest pace in four years in June as cooling demand for goods dragged on output and hiring but easing cost pressures provided some relief, a survey showed.
By Ying Xian WongIndonesia's trade balance swung into a deficit in May, as imports grew while exports fell amid concerns over the conflict in the Middle East as well as U.S. trade tariffs.Southeast Asia's largest economy posted a trade deficit of $1.61 billion, compared with a $90 million surplus i…
Indonesia’s imports surged 22.16% year-on-year to USD 24.81 billion in May 2026, exceeding market expectations of 19.5%, but easing slightly from a 22.49% increase in April, which marked the fastest import growth since August 2022.The strong import growth was driven by government efforts to support…
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Knowledge Group has released its latest primary research report, titled Relearning Productivity: The Hidden Role of Learning and Development (L&D) in Sustained Employee Productivity. As part of the Group’s MENA Workplace Index initiative that marks its 20-year legacy of supporting w…
The Dutch economy expanded by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2026, revised up from an initial estimate of 0.1% but slowing from 0.4% growth in Q4, marking the weakest expansion in a year.The slowdown was mainly driven by weaker external demand, as exports of goods and services fell 0.2% after rising…
Retail sales in the Netherlands increased by 2.9% year-on-year in May 2026, slowing from a five-month high of 3.4% rise in the previous month.Sales growth in the food sector softened to 1.2% from 3.2% in April, as smaller gains in supermarkets (1.1% vs 3.8%) outweighed a rebound in specialty food s…
Indonesia unexpectedly posted a trade deficit of USD 1.61 billion in May 2026, shifting from a USD 4.30 billion surplus in the same month last year and missing market expectations of a USD 1.2 billion surplus.It was the first trade deficit since April 2020, as exports unexpectedly dropped while imp…
Malaysia may spend up to 40 billion ringgit ($9.8 billion) on fuel subsidies this year if energy prices remain elevated, more than double its initial budget allocation, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.Malaysia had set aside about 15 billion ringgit for fuel subsidies in its budget for 2026.($1…
Japanese companies' capital expenditure plans shown in the Bank of Japan tankan survey expanded in line with typical historical trends despite lingering Middle East uncertainties, says Daiwa Securities economist Yutaro Suzuki. Investment appetite remains highly resilient, driven by robust corporate…
Australia's building approvals data for May show that new home building approvals fell for a third month in a row. New home building approvals declined by 1.1% over the month, driven by a 7.3% drop in apartment approvals. The federal government's ambitious target for housing supply is being increas…
By Ying Xian WongIndonesia's consumer inflation picked up last month as higher energy prices continued to push up prices.The headline consumer-price index rose 3.34% in June from a year earlier, accelerating from the 3.08% increase in May, reflecting higher food, transportation and personal care pr…
Indonesia's exports unexpectedly plunged 5.73% year-on-year to USD 23.20 billion in May 2026, reversing sharply from a 21.98% jump in April, which marked the strongest growth since August 2022, and defying market forecasts of a 6.4% increase.It was the second decline in exports this year and the st…
Three decades of surging home prices have fostered an industry built on property speculation in Australia. But Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP says the "super cycle" is ending. The combination of a rising long-term trend in mortgage rates after a thirty-year down trend, record poor affordabili…
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole.It's been a hesitant start to the new quarter in Asia, partly as the market digests the meaty gains made last quarter and partly as the U.S.-Iran talks are busy going nowhere.It seems President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Ku…
