The Board of Investments (BOI) has formalized a tripartite agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) to bolster the pipeline of Japanese capital into the country, targeting a broader array of domestic industrial sectors. In a statement on Monday, April...
Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s (RCBC) executive called for an overhaul of regulatory frameworks across Asia, urging authorities to move from static oversight to an active partnership model to accelerate digital financial inclusion. Speaking at the Money20/20 Asia conference in...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is poised to extend its tightening cycle as foreign lenders believe that the central bank will prioritize anchoring inflation expectations over mounting risks to economic growth. Following the Monetary Board’s decision last week to raise the benchmark...
Local stock market is expected to remain in a bearish holding pattern this week as prolonged diplomatic deadlock in the Middle East dampens investor appetite, even as the market looks toward domestic trade data and the United States (US) Federal Reserve for direction. While local equities have...
Despite an anticipated surge in soured loans caused by the Middle East war, Gotianun-led East West Banking Corp. (EastWest Bank) has shown a firm commitment to penetrating the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) segment beyond lending, as it also aims for “embedded banking” within...
China Banking Corp. (Chinabank), the second financial services unit of the SM Group, posted a four-percent improvement in net income to ₱6.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026 on the back of strong core business growth. The firm reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Thursday, April...
Local equities fell for the second consecutive session, dragging the benchmark index below the psychological 6,000-level as investors braced for the potential interest rate hike by the central bank and monitored simmering geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Philippine Stock Exchange index...
Local stocks ended Tuesday’s session virtually unchanged as investors balanced optimism over potential diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East against domestic concerns regarding tightening monetary policy. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) edged up 2.67 points, or 0.04 percent, to...
High energy prices and persistent geopolitical instability are poised to deepen the Philippines’ external imbalances, heightening depreciation risks for an already fragile peso, according to analysts at Dutch financial giant ING ING wrote in its latest report, published last Friday night, that it...
Private sector economists are split over whether the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will raise interest rates this week, as the need to anchor inflation expectations and defend the peso battles concerns over the fragile economic recovery. Of 10 economists surveyed, five expect a 25-basis-point...
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell below the 6,000 level on Friday, April 17, as investors cashed out ahead of the weekend amid concern over the economic impact of the oil crisis. The main index lost 64.56 points, or 1.06 percent, to close the week at 5,999.13. Conglomerates led the...
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...
