Singapore, January 25, 2018 -- Moody's Investors Service says that credit conditions in Asia will
be stable in 2018, supported by broad-based regional and
global economic growth, a recovery in global trade, and broadly
accommodative monetary policy.
Moody's view is in turn reflected in its outlooks for the region's
sovereigns, and banking and corporate sectors, which saw increasing
shares of stable and positive outlooks in 2017.
At the same time, various downside risks are apparent, including
tighter financing conditions, the threat of increased trade protectionism
and geopolitical tensions.
Moody's conclusions are contained in its just-released report,
"Cross-Sector - Asia-Pacific: 2018 outlook
stable on economic growth, supportive trade and monetary policy".
The report notes that broad-based economic growth globally and
in the Asia-Pacific region is expected in 2018, even as China's
growth slows mildly in line with the authorities' desire for better management
of leverage and financial risks.
Meanwhile, positive growth momentum will continue in Japan and recover
in India, while the Philippines and Vietnam will be the standouts
among ASEAN economies in terms of economic performance.
"For the first time since the Global Financial Crisis, we
are seeing a synchronized expansion across all the major economies,"
says Michael Taylor, a Moody's Managing Director and Chief
Credit Officer for Asia Pacific.
"Asia will remain the fastest growing economic region in the world,
supported by a recovery in global trade and continued accommodative monetary
policies by Asian central banks," adds Taylor.
Moody's expects global funding and liquidity conditions to remain
generally stable, even as global monetary conditions start to normalize.
"In this context, Moody's has a stable outlook for sovereign
creditworthiness in Asia Pacific in 2018, while with the region's
banking systems, it holds stable outlooks on 13 of 16 banking systems
and positive outlooks on two more," says Joy Rankothge,
a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst and one of the report's
authors.
Despite Moody's stable outlook for credit conditions in Asia during
2018, several downside risks to the benign core scenario are apparent.
Such risks include an unexpected tightening of global financing conditions
that could arise as a result of the unwinding of the extraordinary monetary
policy support introduced at the height of the global financial crisis.
Moody's also notes that the tariffs announced by the US administration
on 22nd January 2018 are unlikely to have immediate credit effects for
its rated issuers in the APAC region. However, if they signal
rising trade protectionism, resulting in significant and broad-ranging
measures, they will have wide-ranging negative consequences
for Asia. The implications of the US tariffs are further discussed
in another Moody's report also published today, "US
tariffs, if they signal rising protectionism, could hurt rated
manufacturers, sovereigns"
Other possible downside risks include rising trade protectionism and geopolitical
tensions in the Korean peninsula or South China Sea, although Moody's
assigns only a low probability of either leading to conflict.
Looking more long term, with secular trends shaping Asia's credit
outlook, Moody's sees technological innovation and disruption
as a major driver, with the region in many instances leap-frogging
the rest of the world in areas such as industrial robotics and financial
technology.
On climate change, Asia is set to become a bigger global player
in green bond financing, and it is also home to some of the most
exposed populations and economies to changing climatic conditions.
Demographics is the final secular trend Moody's discusses in its
new report, noting that Asia's growing middle class could be a force
both shaping and driving consumption patterns and demand regionally and
globally.
Subscribers can read the full reports at:
https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1107923
https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1109696
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This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For
any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the
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for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.
Joy Rankothge
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Credit Strategy and Standard
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
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Michael Taylor
MD-CCO APAC
Credit Strategy and Standard
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Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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Singapore 48623
Singapore
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Client Service: 852 3551 3077