Your Morning Fix

• Philippine manufacturing output, as measured by the Volume of Production Index (VoPI), grew 1% year-on-year in December due to a boost in mineral products, food, and machinery, according to the statistics authority.
• The Philippine unemployment rate remained steady from the month prior at 4.4% in December, bringing the full-year average to a two-year high of 4.2%.
• The Philippines’ gross international reserves rose almost 9% year-on-year to USD 112.5 billion at end‑January, preliminary central bank data showed.
• US consumer sentiment rose to a six-month high of 57.3 in February, fueled by largely households with significant stock market investments, according to the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers
• Exit polls show Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition secured a supermajority in Sunday’s snap election, giving Japan’s first female leader a clearer path to pursue tax cuts and increased military spending.