The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Late last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas), the Los Angeles-based organization that hands out the Oscars, released to the media its list of films that will compete for the five slots in the foreign-language film category at the 88th Academy Awards. 

Review by Cristina Jaleru / The Associated Press Sophomore albums are notoriously tricky propositions, but Selena Gomez’s second solo venture, Revival (Interscope Records), breezes through to the finish line—the dance floor—with 11 nearly impeccable tracks that skip from the 1960s to the 1980s to right this minute. 

By Alvin I. Dacanay If you were given the chance to design your dream living space and decorate it with items from the top home-enhancement stores in one of Metro Manila’s most upscale malls, how would you do it? What would it look like? 

Halloween thrills and treats are big and plenty at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel this year, including specials—from shockingly good room deals to a spooky, yet enjoyable kiddie party—that children of all ages are sure to have a spine-tingling fun time with. 

By Luis Leoncio  Another technical glitch marred operations at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) last week and raised fresh jitters in the local bourse, as this was the fourth time the PSE halted operations since migrating to a new trading system. 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has cited several “problematic factors” hampering the Philippines’ business environment, even as it reported that the country rose five places to the 47th spot in the recent World Economic Forum-Global Competitive Index (WEF-GCI). 

By Riza Lozada  The government, finally heeding the growing demand to lower the cost of electricity—reputed to be the highest among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)—has announced a plan that requires power distributors to hire foreign auction managers who would make sure that electricity is bought from suppliers at the lowest price. 

By Jerry Maglunog The country’s growing population of 101.6 million, with an average that puts the majority at working age, or what the government calls the “demographic sweet spot,” is among the primary reasons investors are starting to flock to the country. 

Net capital flows to emerging markets in 2015 will be negative for the first time since 1988, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in a report. 

Globe Telecom Inc. has signed a 10-year, P5-billion and seven-year term loan with Metrobank, which it intends to use for capital expenditures (capex).