Consumer-Driven Resilience Amid Mixed Forecasts in Asian Economies

Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, Brian Lippey leads Caledonia Partners, where he provides financial investment management services focused on emerging economies. Brian Lippey has a particular interest in Asian markets and follows international trends that drive investment strategies. As reported in The Straits Times in August 2016 following the release of second-quarter data from Southeast Asian countries, robust consumer demand is driving positive medium-term growth forecasts.

A particular forerunner is the Philippines which, despite the uncertainties brought about by the new Rodrigo Duterte administration, achieved 7 percent annual GDP growth. By contrast, Thailand’s growth has been at half that rate and Indonesia’s is just over 5 percent. The lack of more robust growth in Thailand reflects a tapering off of tourism to the country, as domestic terror worries come to the fore.

One economy that continues to experience a mixed forecast is China. Some industry watchers view that country’s policymakers’ efforts to prop up short-term growth as impeding meaningful reforms. As current stimulus policies wind down, excess capacity is seen as a drag against future growth. Despite this, the Chinese economy managed 6.7 percent annualized growth in the second quarter, which beat expectations slightly.                            

Acoustic and Classical Guitars

With a master's degree in economics from Columbia University, Brian Lippey is the founder and CEO of Caledonia Partners, LLC, an investment management firm. Outside of his professional work, Brian Lippey is an avid guitarist and founded the Guitar Shop TV website for guitar enthusiasts.

Guitarshoptv.com brings together guitarists and fans, featuring videos of shows, interviews, gear reviews, and member-only resources such as The Ultimate Guide to Acoustic Guitars e-book. An acoustic guitar is a hollow wooden instrument that creates sound with the vibration of its strings.

Acoustic guitars generally have metal strings. A classical guitar is an acoustic guitar with nylon strings instead of metal. The classical guitar is a common choice for beginners because nylon strings are easier on the fingers than metal strings.

Classical guitars also usually cost less than other guitar styles. Since new guitarists often quit before they actually learn to play, buying an expensive guitar for a beginner may not be a wise investment.