Treasury bill yields rose across all tenors at Tuesday’s auction as investors demanded higher returns amid mounting inflation concerns and expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may have to tighten monetary policy further.
Yields on shorter-dated Philippine Treasury bills climbed at Monday’s auction as investors positioned for a possible further monetary tightening by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) later this week.
Philippine inflation surged to 7.2 percent in September, matching the pace in April, which is the fastest rate in three-and-a-half years and putting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas under renewed pressure to tighten monetary policy.
The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday for the first time since 2023, lifting its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent to 4 percent as policymakers moved to counter persistent inflation.
Treasury bill yields climbed across all maturities at Monday’s auction as investors priced in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ recent rate hike and the prospect of further monetary tightening amid an elevated inflation outlook.
ASEAN trade ministers have signed a landmark Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), establishing common rules for online commerce, digital payments and cross-border data flows in a bid to double Southeast Asia’s digital economy to USD2 trillion by 2030.
The Philippines and Canada have concluded negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), setting the stage for expanded market access, greater investment flows and new opportunities for exporters, service providers and small businesses.
Southeast Asia needs an estimated USD7.1 trillion in infrastructure investment through 2040, but a shortage of commercially viable projects is preventing governments from mobilizing enough private capital to meet the region’s growing needs, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda said Saturday.
If the past week's tea leaves had a message, it was this: ay, naku. The economy served up a one-two punch of sluggish growth and runaway prices, then appeared to ask whether we wanted seconds. Monday brought third-quarter GDP growth of 2.1 percent, down from 2.4 percent in the previous quarter and below the 2.8 percent consensus forecast. That marked five consecutive quarters of slowing growth and the weakest performance since the pandemic. October inflation, meanwhile, averaged 7.8 percent. Some wanted the monetary authorities to wield a bigger stick through a jumbo rate hike. Tame prices without choking an already parched economy? Sige, good luck. With stocks around 5,600 and the peso near P64 to the dollar, even sharply cheaper gasoline felt less like salvation than a promo expiring next week.