The country"s inflation rate could breach 8% in October, according to estimates by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Hong Kong banks are facing a growing backlog of repossessed homes as aggressive pricing by developers draws buyers towards new projects, leaving fewer buyers for second-hand properties being sold by mortgagees. The number of residential properties listed for sale by mortgagees rose 30 per cent in the third quarter to sit at 262 at the end of September, a four-quarter high, according to Centaline Property. The increase of 61 properties was the largest since records began in the fourth quarter of...

The Philippines' trade deficit continued to widen in September 2026 as growth of imports outpaced export growth, preliminary data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday showed.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has pledged to cover all losses from a hack that it said drained around US$6.3 billion from its wallet. At that scale, it would be the biggest crypto theft on record, surpassing the US$1.5 billion stolen from Dubai-based exchange Bybit in February 2025, a theft the FBI attributed to North Korea. Binance said in a post on X on Friday that it had suspended all deposits and withdrawals while its team conducts security checks,...

China’s makers of energy storage systems, including Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and Gotion High-Tech, stand to benefit as conflict in the Middle East keeps fossil fuel prices elevated, raising demand for their products in green energy projects, according to analysts. The tailwinds are expected to outweigh a slowdown in the local market, where weaker-than-expected demand has dragged stock prices in the lithium-ion battery supply chain down by more than 46 per cent over the past six...

MANILA, Philippines — Tycoon Henry Sy Jr. has pitched a P700-billion intervention to help ease the country’s high electricity cost over the long term: allow energy superhighway National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to invest in a nationwide chain of battery energy storage system (BESS) to stabilize supply. In a rare media chat, Sy, who chairs

MANILA, Philippines — One of Canada’s largest investment firms is keen to expand its Philippine footprint, particularly in renewable energy, where it already has a presence, as well as in a business process outsourcing (BPO) company operating in the country. According to Finance Secretary Frederick Go, also the country’s investment czar, Brookfield Corporation has expressed

MARINA BAY, Singapore — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) may propose an auction price above P10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the country’s first mid-merit natural gas capacity bidding. ERC chair and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan said the commission aims to propose this price in November, subject to public consultation. The auction price will serve as the

MANILA, Philippines — The share of bad loans on Philippine banks’ books declined to a nine-month low in September, as both lenders and borrowers stayed resilient amid a difficult economic landscape Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed nonperforming loans (NPLs), or debts that remain unpaid 90 days past the due date and

MANILA, Philippines — The mammoth merger between the country’s two largest toll operators may still push through this year despite only two months remaining, as the two groups are already crunching the numbers before sealing a deal. This is according to Manuel V. Pangilinan, who leads Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), whose toll road assets

MANILA, Philippines — As families prepare to remember loved ones during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day, conversations about death can feel especially close to home. For Riva “River” Galveztan, however, preparing for death is not simply about what happens at the end. It is also about learning to live more intentionally and easing the

MANILA, Philippines — Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has identified more than 1,500 potential trade areas for expansion from 2027 to 2030, with about 71 percent outside Metro Manila. These areas would support the growth of the brands Jollibee, Mang Inasal and Chowking, which together account for nearly 90 percent of the group’s Philippine systemwide sales. READ:

Thailand’s e-reader market is growing, with 66% of people preferring digital reading. Despite reading for an average of 64 minutes daily, social media and streaming compete for attention. Key Points A growing preference for digital reading is creating new opportunities in Thailand’s e-reader market, with 66 percent of respondents in a national survey reporting that […]

Thailand’s competition regulator is preparing new rules requiring major digital platforms to explain how they set and change commissions and service charges, responding to complaints from restaurants, small businesses and delivery riders.

Peso continues rally, opens at P63.67:$1The Philippine peso extended its rebound to P63-to-one dollar level, opening stronger against the greenback on Friday.

Motorists should expect mixed movements in pump prices next week.

Investors are gearing up for a high-stakes financial summit in Hong Kong next week, an event that has historically coincided with gains in the city’s stock market while underscoring its standing as a global financial hub. The annual Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit enters its fifth year on Monday with a welcome dinner, followed by two days of panel discussions with senior executives. Major economic trends, shifts in financial markets and the impact of technological advances on...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] With its upcoming flagship exhibition DesignInspire 2026, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will offer trade professionals to design enthusiasts and members of the public the opportunity to view and experience the design ideas and influences shaping our living environment.    Co-organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre and with the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) as lead sponsor,...

The artificial intelligence boom in the United States is set to raise corporate valuations even higher as Anthropic prepares for a public listing, reinforcing the dominance of American companies among the world’s most valuable firms and widening the gap with Chinese firms. Anthropic, valued at US$965 billion in its most recent funding round, is targeting an IPO valuation of US$1.5 trillion to US$2 trillion. Achieving that target would easily secure it a spot among the world’s 20 largest publicly...

MANILA, Philippines — An umbrella group of cement manufacturers in the Philippines expects cement demand to finish the year flat, as construction activity across public and private projects remains sluggish. Reinier Dizon, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (Cemap), said cement demand from January to September was down 2 to 3 percent from

Eleven European countries pledged Thursday to jointly release 42.6 million barrels of oil by the end of January, in line with a G7 deal struck this month to ease global energy supply concerns.

MANILA, Philippines — A new Michelin-starred restaurant has arrived in town, as the prestigious dining guide unveiled its second Philippine edition on Thursday, bringing the country’s roster of Michelin-starred establishments to 10. Flow, a fine-dining restaurant along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati, was the lone newcomer to the coveted one-star category, joining eight other establishments

Governments should prioritize targeted support over broad subsidies to preserve fiscal resources for future shocks

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz Power Corp. posted a 13-percent jump in its bottom line from January to September, driven by a stronger electricity generation segment. The group’s net income rose to P26.2 billion from P23.3 billion in the same period last year. Core earnings also climbed 11 percent to P25.5 billion from P23.1 billion. READ:

MANILA, Philippines — Asia United Bank (AUB) posted a record net income of P9.4 billion in the first nine months of 2026, nearly unchanged from a year earlier, as trading losses tempered growth in lending and fee-based earnings. The bank and its subsidiaries’ earnings edged up 0.3 percent, translating into a return on equity of 18

MARINA BAY, Singapore — The Philippine government has maintained confidence in its coal supply deal with Indonesia, even as Indonesia cuts its gas exports to Singapore. For her part, Secretary Sharon Garin of the Department of Energy (DOE) assured that both parties will honor their coal contracts, even as Indonesia revises its export rules to

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks recovered on Thursday as investors bought shares after the previous day’s decline, with gains on Wall Street also lifting sentiment. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) climbed 0.92 percent, or 52.03 points, to close at 5,705.58.  READ: Inflation fears drag PSEi down 1.87% The broader all-shares index added 0.38 percent.

MANILA, Philippines —A Cabinet-level government body approved restructuring the ongoing Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) project, which aims to improve connectivity and expand economic opportunities in Mindanao. In a statement, the Department of Finance said the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC), co-chaired by Finance Secretary Frederick Go, approved the changes. READ: Samal-Davao bridge done by

Finnish police said on Thursday they had launched a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law at the construction site of a planned Google data center.

MANILA, Philippines — The operator of discount grocery chain Dali Everyday Grocery returned to a P1.03 billion capital deficit in 2025, as mounting losses prompted its auditor to flag uncertainty about its ability to continue as a going concern. Hard Discount Philippines Inc. posted a P1.83-billion net loss last year, narrower than the previous year’s P1.97