SHORT-TERM foreign investments surged in September to a net inflow of $1.03 billion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday.
Foreign investments registered with the central bank through authorized agents — also known as “hot money” because these can be moved quickly elsewhere to maximize profits from interest rates — reversed from the $698.01-million net outflow posted a year ago.
It was also 92.1 percent higher than the $533.95-million net inflow recorded a month earlier.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the increase was mainly driven by local policy rate cuts of 25 basis points in August and October, along with a reduction in bank reserve requirements.
“Policy rate cuts and RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts are good for the financial markets especially for bond markets and stock markets,” he added.
“It is also good for the economy with lower borrowing that spur more demand for loans and investments.”
Overall inflows for the month ballooned to $2.53 billion, 84.7-percent up from August’s $1.37 billion.
Gross outflows, on the other hand, totaled $1.51 billion, 80 percent higher than the prior month’s $836.78 million.
The United States remained the main destination for the outflows, accounting for 51.1 percent or $769.93 million
September’s hot money inflows mostly went to peso government securities (57.5 percent, or $1.46 billion), while the rest were invested in Philippine Stock Exchange-listed securities (42.5 percent, or $1.08 billion), particularly banks, holding firms, property, transportation services, and food, beverage and tobacco companies.
The bulk of these short-term investments, or about 88.4 percent, came from the United Kingdom, Singapore, the US, Luxembourg and Malaysia.
Year-on-year, inflows were 185.2 percent higher than the $887.61 million recorded in September last year, while outflows were lower by 5.0 percent from $1.59 billion.
Year-to-date, hot money inflows were positive at a net $3.02 billion, also a reversal from the $387.24-million net outflow recorded from January to August 2023.
Registration of inward foreign investments is optional under foreign exchange (FX) transaction rules. This is only mandatory if the investor is buying foreign currency from authorized agent banks for the repatriation of capital or remittances of investment earnings.
“Without such registration, the foreign investor can still repatriate capital and remit earnings on its investment, but the FX will have to be sourced outside the banking system,” the central bank said.
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