Morgan Stanley(US:MS) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-08-21 12:06Group 1 - Investors are focusing on the impacts of tariffs, the effectiveness of China's antitrust policies, US-India trade tensions, and whether the Bank of Japan is lagging behind [1] - Morgan Stanley's latest report indicates that investors are more optimistic about the macro outlook for the US and Asia compared to the bank's baseline scenario [1] Group 2 - The current tariff on Asian goods has increased significantly to 25% from 5% at the beginning of the year, with expectations of a notable slowdown in exports by the second half of 2025 [2] - Despite the tariff increases, investors believe that growth in the US and Asia will not show significant deceleration in the latter half of 2025 [2][4] - Non-tech exports from Asia have stabilized after a decline in April and May, with a focus on non-tech exports due to tech products being largely exempt from tariffs [2][5] Group 3 - Exporters have not borne much of the tariff burden, as the prices of goods imported from Asia to the US remain higher than levels seen in February 2025 [7] - The effective tariff rate on Asian imports has risen by 20 percentage points, yet the prices of these goods are only slightly lower than in February 2025 [10] Group 4 - Capital expenditure momentum in Asia appears to be stabilizing, with evidence suggesting a slowdown in capital goods imports since May 2025 [12] - South Korea has committed $350 billion in investments, with actual equity commitments expected to be lower than $17.5 billion, while Japan has announced $550 billion in loans and guarantees, with only 12% expected to be actual investments [13] Group 5 - The increase in tariffs is expected to enhance the transmission of price increases to core goods, with indications that tariffs are driving prices higher in categories such as automobiles and household goods [16] - The US core PCE is projected to peak at 0.39% monthly by August 2025, with core CPI expected to reach a higher peak of 0.45% [16] Group 6 - Asian central banks are currently in a wait-and-see mode, with expectations of further rate cuts as trade policy uncertainties decrease [17] - The report anticipates additional rate cuts in the remaining months of 2025 and into 2026 across various Asian central banks [17] Group 7 - The effectiveness of China's antitrust efforts faces challenges, with recent signals from policymakers indicating potential follow-up actions to address deflationary pressures [18] - The current macroeconomic environment is less favorable for addressing deflation compared to previous years, with a need for a rebalancing from investment to consumption [18][24] Group 8 - The impact of tariffs on India's growth is expected to be mitigated, with only 2% of India's GDP affected by direct and indirect channels from tariffs [19] - The Indian government estimates that only 55% of its exports to the US will be impacted by tariffs, allowing for some exemptions [19] Group 9 - There is a growing divergence between macroeconomic indicators and micro-level data in India, with corporate revenue growth slowing while nominal GDP growth remains high [21] - Factors such as recent monetary easing by the Reserve Bank of India are expected to support economic re-inflation in the coming quarters [21] Group 10 - The Bank of Japan maintains a dovish stance due to moderate demand-side inflation pressures, with expectations of no rate hikes in the near term [22] - The Japanese economy is still recovering from the pandemic, with private consumption and capital expenditure below pre-COVID levels [22] Group 11 - Asian investors are reducing net purchases of US stocks, indicating a shift in focus towards European equities and increased foreign exchange hedging on US positions [23] - The ongoing concerns about the US macro outlook are prompting Asian investors to reconsider their asset allocations [23]