Reserve Bank of India currency production sheet

Asia’s First Quarter Ends in Turbulence as Oil Shock Collides with the Region’s AI-Driven Growth Story

The first quarter of 2026 will be remembered as a period that began with historic optimism and ended in crisis. Asian equity markets opened the year at record levels, fueled by Samsung and SK Hynix’s HBM production ramp, TSMC’s record earnings, Japan’s Takaichi-driven fiscal expansion, Singapore’s AI-centered budget, and India’s emergence as the region’s fastest-growing…

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Province of Zhuhai Guangdong China

The First Quarter’s Regulatory Landscape Changed More Than Any Year-Ahead Outlook Predicted

The regulatory developments of Q1 2026 defied every major forecast published at the start of the year. Consensus outlooks anticipated incremental tightening of semiconductor export controls, gradual implementation of corporate governance reforms in Korea, continued BOJ normalization, and the adoption of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. All of these occurred. None of them proved to be…

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