Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled Friday that the U.S. central bank may cut interest rates at its next policy meeting in September, citing growing risks to the labor market and ongoing inflation pressures.
Major U.S. markets closed lower Thursday as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium—an elite annual gathering of global central bankers that often sets the tone for global interest rate direction.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Thursday held the federal funds target range steady at 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, citing steady economic growth and lingering inflationary pressures.
A temporary rice import ban ordered by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from September to December 2025 has pushed up farmgate prices of palay (unmilled rice) across the country, helping farmers recover from months of losses but raising concerns about possible higher rice prices for consumers.
As more people celebrate Valentine’s Day online, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) urges caution and for the public to protect personal and financial information.