0728 GMT - GDP growth across most Asian economies is likely to moderate in 2026, with Asia ex-Japan growth expected to slow to 4.5% from an estimated 4.9% in 2025, HSBC chief Asia economist Frederic Neumann says in his 2026 Asia outlook presentation. He attributes the slowdown to an incomplete rotation from external to domestic demand, with consumption unlikely to fully offset weaker U.S. and AI-related export growth. Monetary policy is set to diverge, with Australia, New Zealand and Japan expected to raise rates, while most other economies continue to ease amid subdued inflation. On currencies, HSBC favors the Chinese yuan, Indian rupee and Korean won, all of which are expected to appreciate, head of Asia FX research Joey Chew adds. (jason.chau@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 19, 2026 02:28 ET (07:28 GMT)

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