May 18, 2026

Bright Morning - 18 May 2026

Bringing the latest market news closer to you.

 

Macroeconomy

  • Trump warned Iran to act quickly or face severe consequences. His message came as US-Iran talks continued after an early-April ceasefire. This raised tensions and added uncertainty over whether recent negotiations can still lead to a lasting end to the conflict soon.
  • The peso may weaken further toward 62 per dollar as the Iran conflict supports the US dollar and lifts oil prices. Political tensions are also hurting sentiment, further intensifying outflows.

Fixed Income

  • Local bond trading remained very quiet as the market remained cautious. Bid-offer spreads remained wide and trades were limited to a few trades mainly to service end user requirements.
  • Global bond yields rose sharply as oil prices climbed and inflation concerns intensified, with political uncertainty in the UK adding pressure. Markets now expect tighter Fed policy, which may keep rates elevated near term.

Equities

  • Global equities rose 0.61% as strong tech earnings and optimism around the US-China meeting supported market sentiment.
  • The PSEi stepped back on Friday, down 0.64% to close at 5,976 pts, as the Peso weakness versus the US dollar weighed against investor sentiment.

Bright Idea: Locking in yields at current levels (10-year higher than 7% sounds like a good move to add some stability. We recommend clients to consider adding local bond funds to their portfolios at this point.
 

Daily Market Movements

Indicators 15 May 2026 Previous Day Daily Change
PSEi
Philippine Equity Index		 5,977 6,015 -0.64%
NASDAQ
Tech Focused US Index		 29,125 29,580 -1.54%
MSCI ACWI
Global Equity Index		 1,099 1,116 -1.53%
S&P500
US Equity Index		 7,409 7,501 -1.24%
PH Bond (10-Year) 7.62% 7.55% 7 bps
US Treasury Bond (10-Year)   4.59% 4.48% 11 bps
USD / PHP 61.721 61.640 -0.13%

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