• Investors are looking for the next policy domino to fall in Asia amid an escalating campaign against a resurgent dollar, after Indonesia used a surprise interest rate hike to defend the rupiah.
• The currencies of Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and India are all trading within sight of multi-year lows, raising the odds for local authorities to take firmer action to stem the slide. Won and ringgit swaps, for example, are already pricing in a less dovish stance by the two local central banks.
• Indonesia’s unexpected monetary tightening this week demonstrates the precarious position of central banks as they grapple with the outlook of higher-for-longer US interest rates. Policymakers across Asia must choose between damping economic growth or protecting exchange rates that are in free-fall.