Inflation will be less of an issue towards end of year

ON ASIA

Newton's Caroline Keen explains why she is not overly concerned by inflation fears which have been fanned by Middle East unrest.

Four themes drive the bull vs bear debate in Asia. The first is population dynamics: Important for identifying patterns in consumption and savings habits across the region, not every country in Asia has favourable demographics, but the majority do, especially when compared with the Western world. China, for example, is in a sweet spot where its dependency ratio is at an all time low with more money available for discretionary spending. The second is global realignment: With global growth forecasts downgraded and continued worries over the solvency of sovereigns in both Europe and the US,...