Monetary authorities in the Philippines and Vietnam are seen leading the hawkish camp in tightening policy as consumer prices in the Philippines risk absorbing sustained elevated costs arising from the Middle East conflict. “Should energy prices remain elevated, the Philippines and Vietnam are...
Despite a more somber outlook for Philippine economic growth this year, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC) now expects local monetary authorities to deliver a 25-basis-point (bp) rate hike in 2026 as consumer prices continue to rise persistently. This assumption would mark a...
Not only the Philippines’ vulnerability to global oil price and supply shocks amid the Middle East war but also domestic political instability has pulled the peso down to record-low levels, according to Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd. “The Indian rupee, Indonesian rupiah, and Philippine peso have...
The peso is struggling to claw back losses despite the two-week ceasefire between the United States (US) and Iran, remaining an outlier in a regional currency recovery as markets focus on the country’s acute sensitivity to energy prices. While the brief cessation of hostilities sparked a relief...
The ceasefire-driven rally of Asian currencies, including the Philippine peso, may be short-lived as global oil risks linger, according to Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Ltd. (OCBC). In an April 9 report, OCBC Group Research foreign exchange (FX) strategists Sim Moh Siong and...
The jump in the March inflation rate has set the stage for a potential 50-basis-point (bp) rate hike by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) during the second quarter, according to global investment banking giant Goldman Sachs. In an April 7 report obtained by Manila Bulletin, Goldman Sachs...
Maya Innovations Holdings Pte. Ltd., the fintech arm of telecommunications giant PLDT Inc., is maintaining its ambition to pursue a $1 billion initial public offering as early as this year, even as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East threaten to disrupt global capital markets....
If the war in the Middle East prolongs and global oil prices continue to skyrocket, the Philippine peso could breach the ₱61:$1 level in the second quarter of 2026 and even hit as low as ₱62 to ₱64 against the United States (US) dollar. “Our base case forecasts for the US dollar-Philippine...
Renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are seen aggravating oil price- and supply-driven inflation pressures in the Philippines stemming from the ongoing war in the Middle East. “While the direct effect of renewed strikes on shipping in the Red Sea on aggregate world trade is likely to be limited,...
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB) expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to keep key interest rates unchanged this year, despite rising risks to growth and inflation from the ongoing war in the Middle East. “Amid persistent uncertainty over the Middle East conflict, we expect...
GT Capital Holdings Inc., the Ty family’s flagship investment firm, has infused ₱9.16 billion into its wholly owned property subsidiary Federal Land Inc. through the acquisition of a 20-percent stake in the unit’s joint venture (JV) with Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd. (NRE). In a...
Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd. said the Philippines is facing declining investor confidence as the persistent surge in energy costs stemming from the Middle East war weighs on the government’s ability to service its debts. Citing data on credit default swaps (CDS), DBS economists said the...
