Peace talks lift markets, but the real story runs deeper. HSBC's senior ASEAN economist Yun Liu unpacks why Southeast Asia sits at the eye of the storm — navigating energy shocks, a hawkish Fed, dollar pressure, and an AI revolution that's reshaping trade.

From Malaysia's fuel subsidies to Singapore's inflation risk and Vietnam defying tariff odds, this is the macro picture most investors are missing.

Highlights:

01:14 AI productivity boom

03:55 Inflation outlook

05:50 Oil volatility: Strait of Hormuz fallout

09:35 Central banks respond: the path to energy resilience

11:29 SGD safe haven

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Send us your questions, thoughts, story ideas, and feedback to btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.

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Written and hosted by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)

With Yun Liu, senior ASEAN economist, HSBC

Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

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Hawkish Fed, hot inflation, fragile currencies: ASEAN's delicate balancing act explained

BT Market Focus

Hawkish Fed, hot inflation, fragile currencies: ASEAN's delicate balancing act explained