Asia/Japan - Rising disposable income and benign inflationary outlook bode well for growth

Despite slowdowns elsewhere in the world, the Asia-Pacific region continues to see strong economic g...

Despite slowdowns elsewhere in the world, the Asia-Pacific region continues to see strong economic growth. This suggests fears that higher interest rates and lower consumption - particularly in the US - would create problems for the region's economies have so far been ill founded. Also encouraging is the slight inflation pick-up in the region. This is positive for equities while utilisation rates are at decent levels, and there is little sign of massive expansion of capacity to disrupt this position. Furthermore, wages and, in particular, disposable incomes are rising, which bodes well for...