The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing mounting pressure to deliver a more aggressive interest rate hike or a rare off-cycle move after inflation surged to a three-year high in April. British banking giant Barclays is now pricing in three consecutive 25-basis-point increases, which would...
Signs of stagflation are surfacing in the Philippine economy as it enters the second quarter of 2026, with private sector economists warning of a precarious mix of stalled growth and surging consumer prices. The country’s economic output likely posted only a tepid recovery from the previous...
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...
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...
While Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth showed relative strength in the second quarter, private-sector economists believe it is not strong enough to prevent the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) from further reducing interest rates, as inflation is expected to remain soft and growth...
Despite United States (US) President Donald Trump’s surprising decision to raise tariffs by three percentage points on Philippine exports, the foreign exchange (forex) market showed minimal concern, according to Dutch financial giant ING. “While Trump’s tariff hike on the Philippines—from...
With new tariffs turning out “worse than expected” for Asian economies, Dutch financial giant ING said the Philippines’ exclusion from the revised list could give the country a trade advantage, potentially allowing it to outperform its regional peers. “Interestingly, countries like India,...
Motorists are getting another round of relief as oil prices are set to go down further this week. Starting Tuesday, July 8, gasoline prices will decrease by ₱0.70 per liter, diesel by ₱0.10 per liter, and kerosene by ₱0.80 per liter. Shell Pilipinas, Seaoil, PetroGazz, and PTT are among the...
A slightly higher inflation rate that remains below two percent in June would allow the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to cut interest rates some more in August, economists said. In a June 27 report, Deutsche Bank Research economist Junjie Huang said headline inflation could have inched up to...
The peso dropped to the ₱57 level against the United States (US) dollar on Thursday morning, June 19, ahead of the expected Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) interest rate cut later in the day. According to the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), the local currency opened at ₱57.1,...
Netherlands-based financial giant ING does not expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to end its easing cycle in the upcoming monetary policy meeting, citing below-target inflation and a continued appreciation of the peso. These factors, coupled with “high real rates, and uncertainty over...
With headline inflation falling to its lowest level in over five years, local and international financial institutions now expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to cut key interest rates by a total of 75 basis points (bps) by year-end, with the first reduction likely as early as the upcoming...
