Fed Wary of Negative Rates, Thailand Currency Challenge: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Thursday, Asia. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help get your day started:

• Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues are loath to follow Europe and Japan into negative interest rate territory -- no matter what President Donald Trump might want
• Meanwhile, Trump triggered a swift and skeptical reaction with his demand Wednesday for the Fed to lower rates “to zero, or less”
• Thailand’s effort to revive economic growth with more than $10 billion of stimulus faces an obstacle from its surging currency
• Malaysia’s central bank is likely to keep interest rates unchanged today, although pressure is building for more easing as U.S.-China trade risks continue to rage
• Low unemployment in the Philippines may be masking the fact that more people are opting not to work -- and preferring to stay in school for longer
• Argentina’s presidential front-runner Alberto Fernandez should hold a press conference sometime today -- that’s an opportunity to clarify his views about the economy, writes Adriana Dupita

To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Bourke in Sydney at cbourke4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nasreen Seria at nseria@bloomberg.net, Michael Heath

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