New market study, "Singapore Business Forecast Report Q3 2013", has been published

From: Fast Market Research, Inc.
Published: Mon Jul 08 2013


The recent uptick in external demand is unlikely to mark the beginning of a forceful recovery, and, given Singapore's heavy dependence on trade, we are forecasting for the economy to recover only slightly in 2013 to 2.5% growth.

Singapore's economy is in the midst of a longer-term rebalancing as the government looks to reduce the country's reliance on foreign labour, and this will have substantial effects on inflation and economic growth over the medium term.

2012-2013 appears to be an inflection point for Singapore's economy as it shifts away from the export-led growth that it experienced over the past decade. Although we expect the city-state to see a slight revival in its export fortunes in 2013 in line with a moderate growth rebound in Asia, we see import growth outrunning exports for the second straight year, marking the beginning of a longer-term trend.

Full Report Details at
- http://www.fastmr.com/prod/616989_singapore_business_forecast_report_q3_2013.aspx?afid=301

Key Forecast Changes

Although Singapore's economy has thus far avoided a technical recession, it is not yet out of the woods, with the threat of stagflation once again on the radar. As a result of slower than expected growth due to poor demand for Singapore's particular mix of exports (especially its heavily IC-weighted electronics exports), we note that risks to our 2.5% GDP forecast for 2013 are to the downside.

Singapore inflation moderated considerably in March, posting at 3.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) versus 4 .9% in February as new loan curbs hit Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices, effecting a dramatic fall in transportation related cost pressures. At the same time, we believe the core inflation may begin to tick up in the second half of the year as wage pressures begin to feed through into consumer prices, and have therefore upgraded our end-year inflation forecast from 2.5% to 3.0%.

We see little reason to expect a considerable export rebound before the end of 2013, and continue to believe that, while trade activity may continue to improve into Q313, any recovery is likely to be transitory. Nevertheless, Singapore's external position remains one of the most sound in the world.

Key Risks To Outlook

Despite their continued health, a longer than expected downturn in global economic activity, or an acute financial or economic crisis stemming from either the eurozone or the US' potential fiscal cliff, could erode the remaining strength in both the labour and asset markets in Singapore. In such a case, the very low unemployment rate of 1.9% could rise towards 2.5%, and private property prices could see a sharp correction.

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

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Company: Fast Market Research, Inc.
Contact Name: Bill Thompson
Contact Email: press@fastmr.com
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