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.
