The Philippine economy faces an uphill battle in the second half of 2026 after posting its weakest post-pandemic growth, with private sector economists warning that faster infrastructure spending, easing inflation, and stronger investor confidence will determine whether the country can meet the...
Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC) holds one of the most hawkish outlooks on local monetary policy, pricing in a 25-basis-point (bp) rate hike at each of the remaining policy meetings in 2026 on expectations that inflation will stay elevated. OCBC Group Research expects...
Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. said the Philippine peso is among the Asian currencies that stand to benefit from the Japanese yen’s appreciation against the United States (US) dollar. MUFG Global Markets Research senior currency analyst Michael Wan identified the peso, Thai baht, and...
Private-sector economists are divided over the trajectory of Philippine inflation in July, though they broadly agree that lingering climate risks, geopolitical tensions, and a weaker peso will compel the central bank to keep interest rates elevated. Forecasts for July headline consumer prices span...
Philippine economic growth likely picked up above the three-percent level in the second quarter, mainly on improved spending on public goods and services, with most private-sector economists expecting the economy to perform better than in the previous quarter despite lingering headwinds from...
A resurgence in global energy prices is poised to test the resilience of the peso, though aggressive monetary policy from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will likely insulate the currency from extreme volatility, according to DBS Bank. DBS senior economist Radhika Rao wrote in a commentary...
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. holds one of the most optimistic full-year consumer price outlooks for the Philippines, forecasting an average inflation rate of 5.2 percent as global energy prices experience a rapid and sharp pullback. Goldman economists Yuting Yang and Goohoon Kwon said in a July 3...
Consumer price growth likely slowed for another month in June, driven by declining global oil and food costs alongside a recovering currency, according to private-sector economists. A median forecast from regional banks and analysts projects headline inflation to have moderated to between 6.5...
Currency pressures from the global oil shock have dissipated, allowing the Philippine peso to rebound and even outperform other regional currencies, Singapore-based UOB said, which expects the previously battered currency to fare better against the United States (US) dollar thanks to falling oil...
American financial giant Goldman Sachs Group Inc. expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise key borrowing costs through three more 25-basis-point (bp) hikes to 5.5 percent, citing the looming inflation threat from El Niño coupled with the oil shock—a “quicker” transmission of...
Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. expects the Philippine peso to gradually regain footing against the United States (US) dollar on the back of lower oil prices, improving government spending, and additional interest rate hikes by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). MUFG Global Markets...
While the Philippine peso weakened amid the “more painful” impact of the United States (US)-Iran war, it has suffered smaller losses than the Indonesian rupiah and Indian rupee, not because of Manila’s closer ties with Washington but due to its lower reliance on volatile foreign capital...
