The Philippines’ macroeconomic risk profile has deteriorated to its worst level in a decade, leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to global shocks as its Southeast Asian neighbors outpace it in fiscal health. According to the latest emerging markets macro risk analysis by DBS Bank, which...
Asian currencies rebounded against the United States (US) dollar following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a peace deal with Iran, with the Philippine peso leading regional gains. “As far as Asian currencies were concerned, the Philippine peso returned from holiday and led Asian...
Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank AG has called for a jumbo 50-basis-point (bp) interest rate hike on Thursday, arguing that a larger increase would tackle growing price pressures head-on and avoid the need for more drastic tightening later. In a June 12 commentary, Deutsche Bank wrote that the Bangko...
Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. said the Philippine peso may start clawing back recent losses and reverse its underperformance following unexpected news that the United States (US) and Iran will sign a peace deal on Friday, allowing the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. “Asian currencies such...
British banking giant Barclays said dovish members of the Monetary Board (MB) will likely support a less aggressive policy stance amid signs of cooling inflation, adding that monetary authorities may reverse their tightening cycle by 2027 to buoy a slowing economy. “With the May inflation print...
Telecommunications titan PLDT Inc. is awaiting the next move of Maya stakeholder KKR & Co. over the digital bank’s planned initial public offering (IPO), as the telecom giant aims to increase its stake to unlock further value and support revenue growth. PLDT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
Philippine stocks remain among Asia’s weakest performers as investors continue to favor markets benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, while concerns over domestic economic, investment, and policy conditions weigh on sentiment, according to Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd. In a...
The Philippines’ automotive market has received another vote of confidence from Japan, with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) backing a $573-million financing package to support the vehicle sales business of Mitsubishi Motors Finance Philippines Inc. (MMFP). In a statement...
MUFG Bank Ltd., Japan’s largest commercial lender, is prepared to finance nuclear energy projects in the Philippines as part of its regional sustainable finance strategy, though it favors smaller reactors over reviving the country 's dormant, large-scale assets. In a media roundtable, MUFG...
The domestic inflation environment remains persistently “challenging,” according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), a factor that MUFG Bank Ltd. believes could prompt the central bank to further tighten monetary policy to help anchor the pressured peso. Last Friday night, June 5, the BSP...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would likely continue hiking interest rates this year despite the lower-than-expected inflation rate in May, even as the pace of monetary policy tightening may be more gradual as economic growth remains subdued, according to Singapore-based United Overseas Bank...
The Philippines’ trade deficit could widen further in the coming months as export growth loses momentum while imports continue to surge, increasing the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC) warned. “Looking ahead, the divergence...
