PH firms stay gloomy on inflation, peso woes

MANILA, Philippines — Business sentiment improved slightly in September, though companies remained pessimistic as stubbornly high inflation, a weakening peso and geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on confidence, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. A nationwide survey of 515 companies showed the business confidence index rose to -8.4 percent from -10.9 percent in August.