Central bank policy meetings and 4Q18 GDP reports dominate next week’s Asian economic calendar. Asian central banks will tread a cautious path but will mostly leave policies on hold this year. The week begins with China’s 4Q18 GDP and December data on retail sales, fixed asset investment, and industrial production. The consensus estimate of 6.4% year-on-year GDP growth is barely a slowdown from 6.5% in the previous quarter despite all the hue and cry that weighed down global markets in the last quarter. However, a sharp deceleration in manufacturing and retail sales as well as in trade growth, and falling industrial ... (full story)