<p><strong>GLOBAL: President Trump dismissed reports that Iran had suspended negotiations,</strong> saying he had not heard such news despite Tehran’s claims that indirect talks were halted after renewed strikes.</p>

<p><strong>Market impact: US stocks edged higher Monday, with the Dow up 0.09%,</strong> S&amp;P 500 gaining 0.26%, and Nasdaq rising 0.42%, as investors tracked US-Iran peace talks and welcomed a new AI chip for personal computing.</p>

<p><strong>Iran’s state media earlier reported that peace talks with Washington were suspended after renewed strikes, </strong>raising doubts about diplomatic progress.</p>

<p><strong>LOCAL: The Philippine central bank signaled it may adopt stronger monetary measures if high inflation expectations persist,</strong> pledging to take all necessary action to bring price growth back to its 3% target.</p>

<p><strong>Market impact: In April, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its key rate to 4.50% and emphasized it does not target a fixed exchange rate,</strong> as the peso strengthened 6.1% against the dollar over the past three months.</p>

<p><strong>Metrobank forecasts </strong>another cumulative 75 basis points worth of hikes in 2026.</p>