BTC iShares Asia 50 ETF

Taiwan’s economy rose by 0.7% on an annual basis in 2Q16—compared to a contraction of 0.29% in the previous quarter and slightly above estimated forecasts.

In the short term, Asian benchmarks and ETFs have also performed better than US-focused funds.

Asian equities have seen a sharp rally in 2017 due to attractive valuations and upward earnings potential.

Although Asian markets have outperformed most of the other regions this year, their performance over the past few years has remained sluggish overall.

We continue to believe that when evaluating any investment in either the emerging markets or any global allocation of assets, China needs to be considered.

Thailand’s economy rose by 3.5% on an annual basis in 2Q16. The GDP rose at the fastest pace since 1Q13. On a quarterly basis, its GDP grew by 0.8% in 2Q16.

The inflation rate in Taiwan rose by 1.2% in July on an annual basis—above expectations of 1.1% growth and last month’s rise of 0.91% in consumer prices.

Inflation levels in Australia rose by 1.0% in 2Q16—slightly below estimated forecasts of a 1.1% rise and softer than the previous quarter’s rise of 1.3%.

The inflation rate in Singapore fell by 0.7% on an annual basis in June after a 1.6% drop in May and estimated forecasts of a contraction of 1.1%.