FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY players (fintechs) need to step up amid the shift to a digital economy due to the coronavirus pandemic to boost services for small businesses which are among the most vulnerable to the crisis, said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno.

TOKYO/FRANKFURT/WASHINGTON — After years of applying plenty of stick to commercial lenders unhappy with negative interest rate policies, central bankers in the euro zone and Japan are experimenting with some carrot, too.

THE PESO strengthened versus the greenback on Wednesday after oil prices slipped anew and with positive market sentiment due to dovish remarks from US officials.

THE PHILIPPINES does not need to tap International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) credit line for economies affected by the pandemic, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said, citing the country’s sound economic management which put it at a “position of strength” before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit.

THE GOVERNMENT made a full award of the 35-day Treasury bills (T-bills) auctioned off on Tuesday on strong demand as investor appetite for short-term papers continues to strengthen.

TOKYO — Nomura Holdings, Inc. said on Tuesday it planned to beef up business with unlisted companies, including offering advice to start-ups, aiming to diversify revenue after quarterly earnings took a battering from the coronavirus pandemic.

THE grace period for loan payments to financial institutions is further extended as some areas of the country continue to be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

IN THE BATTLE to keep millions of China’s smaller businesses afloat, banks are counting on being allowed another round of exceptions for borrowers falling behind on payments.

THE PESO strengthened against the greenback on Tuesday on positive market sentiment due to prospects of a vaccine that could help prevent further spread of the virus.

THE GOVERNMENT hiked the volume of Treasury bills (T-bills) it awarded on Monday as rates dropped across-the-board on strong demand.

EAST WEST Banking Corp. (EastWest Bank) booked a 75% increase in net profit in the first three months of the year, supported by better margins from its core businesses as well as higher trading income.

THE ASIAN Development Bank’s (ADB) funding commitments for the Philippines reached $4.57 billion in 2019, second highest among the bank’s developing member countries (DMCs) in Asia and the Pacific.