Central Bank of The Philippines
Interest Rate Hikes in Indonesia, the Philippines and Czech Republic but a Cut in Brazil
June 18, 2026
Bank Indonesia’s 25-basis point rate hike to 5.75% followed an unscheduled review just eight days earlier and an initial tightening done in May. The haste implied by this sequence of increases totaling a full percentage point has been motivated by inflation of 3.1% that exceeds the 2.5% target mid-point but even more so by the […] More
Rate Hike at the Central Bank of the Philippines
April 23, 2026
There’s been a 25-basis point central bank interest rate hike in the Philippines, its first increase since a similarly-sized move in October 2023 that lifted the rate then to cyclical high of 6.5% where it stayed until easing commenced in August 2024. Cuts totaling 75 basis points in the second half of 2024, 125 bps […] More
Middle East Holding Spotlight: No Hopeful Signs & More Evidence of the War’s Economic Impact
April 23, 2026
Nothing encouraging has surfaced regarding a resumption of peace talks between the United States and Iran. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains stalled, and there have been more ship seizure incidents by both sides. Preliminary findings from April purchasing manager surveys and other data out today point to a big blow to business […] More
Interest Rate Cut in the Philippines
February 19, 2026
There has been another interest rate cut at the Central Bank of the Philippines, the sixth in a row for this monetary authority that reviews its policy stance on a bi-monthly basis. At 4.25%, the new rate level will be back to its lowest level since November 2022 and 225 basis points below the 6.5% […] More
A U.S. Holiday and Many Central Bank Policy Reviews
June 19, 2025
In spite of the current U.S. govenment’s crusade against DEI, June 19 remains a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in 1865. Banks, the U.S. stock exchanges and non-essential federal offices are shut. In overnight trading abroad, the dollar rose 0.8% against the kiwi, 0.5% versus the Australian dollar, and 0.4% relative to the […] More
Awaiting Reciprocal Tariff Details and U.S. Producer Price Data
February 13, 2025
America’s second inflation shoe this week, the January PPI report, is due within the half hour. President Trump has also promised an announcement today on “reciprocal tariffs,” conceivably the biggest round of levies thus far, and he will be meeting today with Indian Prime Minister Modi. A phone call earlier this week with Russian President […] More
Filipino Rate Cut
December 19, 2024
As analysts were expecting, a 25-basis point interest rate cut was announced today at the Central Bank of the Philippines. At 5.75%, the new rate will be its lowest in 22 months and down from 6.50% maintained from October 2023 until an initial cut in August 2024. Inflation is projected to stay under the 2-4% […] More
Many More Central Banks Announce Interest Rate Decisions, Third-Quarter U.S. GDP Gets Revised Higher, And A Possible U.S. Government Shutdown Looms
December 19, 2024
World financial markets reacted sharply and immediately to yesterday’s shift in Fed forward rate guidance that now suggests only two rate cuts, not four, during 2025. Then in overnight market action, U.S. stock futures recovered about 0.7%. Share prices in the Pacific Rim 1.0% or more in South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, and India […] More
Thailand and the Philippines
October 16, 2024
The Central Bank of the Philippines‘ key interest rate was lowered by 25 basis points today to 6.0% in a follow-up to an initial 25-bp cut in August. A peak of 6.5% had been reached in August 2023 after increases totaling 100 bps in 2023 and 350 bps in the second half of 2022. Filipino […] More
Several Central Bank Policy Reviews and Signs of Receding Inflation
October 16, 2024
Central bank policy interest rates were cut today in the Philippines, Thailand and Namibia, each by 25 basis points, while Indonesia’s 7-day repo rate, which had been reduced at last month’s review, was not changed. Just prior to the release of U.S. import and export price figures, the dollar was showing no net change overnight […] More
