Russian Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low 
France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi 
Trump Questions USMCA Renewal as Trade Talks Continue 
100+ Global Companies Push Governments to Prioritize Electrification for Economic Growth 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low; Gold Falls and Oil Mixed 
Dollar Hits One-Month High as Hawkish Fed Outlook Boosts Greenback 
Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
China Keeps Loan Prime Rates Unchanged for 13th Straight Month as Policymakers Prioritize Credit Demand Recovery 
Japan Inflation Stays Below BOJ Target Despite Rate Hike and Rising Energy Cost Risks 
Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness 
Malaysia’s core inflation is expected to stay relatively modest and the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to maintain its policy rate at 3.00 percent throughout 2017. Also, at this juncture, growth dynamics do not point to the emergence of strong demand-pull inflationary pressures.
Malaysia’s headline inflation has likely peaked in March as retail pump prices continued to decline in May. Headline inflation eased to 4.4 percent y/y in April as the pace of increase in transport prices moderated.
During the month, core inflation, which excludes volatile items of fresh food and administered prices of goods and services, remained stable at 2.5 percent y/y. The increase in core inflation has been relatively modest compared with higher headline inflation.
"For the first three weeks of May, we estimate fuel price to be lower by 4 percent m/m but still 23 percent y/y higher compared with the preceding year. Given that the weight of fuel and lubricants in the CPI basket is 7.8 percent, this could potentially add 1.8ppt to May’s headline CPI inflation," ANZ Research commented in its latest research report.
