The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the second time this year, aiming to support economic growth and hiring even as inflation remains elevated. But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell cautioned that another cut at the central bank meeting in December is far from certain.
Treasury bill rates continued to ease this week as investors bet on the growing likelihood of monetary policy easing, following softer-than-expected inflation data in the US.
With official jobs data unavailable due to the US government shutdown since October 1, markets turned to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book for a pulse on the economy. It merely confirmed what previous official data showed—tepid business and economic activity that had earlier spurred the Fed to cut interest rates in hopes of jumpstarting a muted labor market.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Monday signaled the likelihood of further monetary policy easing, saying recent data suggest little change in inflation and employment conditions since the central bank’s last rate cut in September.
Travel companies across Southeast Asia are bracing for a softer second quarter in 2026, but Philippine firms appear less downbeat than their regional peers, according to findings shared by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA).
OpenAI said it will discontinue Sora, its high-profile text-to-video app, just six months after launch, underscoring a strategic pivot toward more commercially viable artificial intelligence products.
The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) has approved a proposal from the Department of Agriculture to set a temporary price ceiling of ₱50 per kilogram on imported rice (5 percent broken).
Lorenzo Shipping Corporation has secured regulatory approval to double its authorized capital stock to P2 billion, a move that paves the way for the capital infusion of National Marine Corp. (NMC) and further capital raising to fund expansion.