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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Stock Market devider Stocks fall to 1.5-month low on threat of fresh US sanctions against Iran

Stocks fall to 1.5-month low on threat of fresh US sanctions against Iran

Published Aug 25, 2026 06:43 pm
Local stocks tumbled to their lowest level in nearly six weeks as mounting geopolitical friction in the Middle East sparked broad-based selling, while market participants adopted a cautious stance ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) monetary policy review.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped 61.15 points, or 0.98 percent on. Tuesday Aug. 25, dragging equity benchmarks lower across the board.
The pullback was spearheaded by the Services sector, which bore the brunt of the widespread market retreat.
Investor sentiment soured globally after United States (US) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent escalated warnings of broad financial penalties against nations continuing trade with Iran, raising concerns over tightened global crude supplies and secondary economic fallout.
“The local bourse ended lower amid broad-based selling pressure, as heightened uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment,” said Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development Corp.
Limlingan added that market participants are maintaining defensive positions while anticipating the BSP policy meeting to evaluate the central bank’s upcoming monetary trajectory.
The local pullout mirrored broader risk aversion across global equity markets as traders evaluated the compounding economic impacts of the crisis.
“The local market fell as investors sold off amid the lack of a positive catalyst,” said Japhet Tantiangco, research manager at Philstocks Financial Inc. “Concerns over the US-Iran situation, which is now turning into an economic warfare where Iran's trading partners could possibly get hit by the latest US campaign, are also weighing heavily on sentiment.”
The benchmark index hovered near 1.5-month lows following overnight weakness across major Wall Street indexes. Equity markets were rattled after the US Treasury Department threatened severe enforcement against international entities doing business with Tehran as part of a campaign to isolate the oil-producing nation.
Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., noted that threats of punitive economic actions from Washington against Iran's trade partners exacerbated downside pressure across regional market indices.

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