The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Walls to ward off anyone deemed undesirable or just about anyone who doesn’t belong has become a prominent idea these days in America, as posed by Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump to solve the immigration problem.

Contrary to the view of a self-styled “political analyst,” the move by Davao City Mayor Digong Duterte to stay out of the 2016 presidential race primarily favors the bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Washington—Hillary Rodham Clinton battled questions for hours from Republicans in a hearing that grew contentious but revealed little new about the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, as she defended her record while seeking to avoid any mishap that might damage her 2016 presidential campaign.

By Jerry Maglunog The 512 rural banks (RBs), fast becoming an endangered breed, are mostly in dire need of white knights, according to the president of the Rural Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (RBAP).

By Riza Lozada Listed Philippine Business Bank Inc. (PBB) had spent P200 million for branch license acquisition in accordance with its prospectus for its initial public offering (IPO) conducted in 2013 that raised P3.008 billion. 

Tokyo—Tucked in a shabby alley of Shibuya, Japan’s Silicon Valley, is a startup that’s done the almost impossible: win funding from the country’s notoriously conservative banks. 

New York—Coco-Cola’s profit fell in the third quarter as the world’s biggest drink-maker booked charges related to its push to slash costs and reposition its business. The strong dollar also ate into its results. The maker of Sprite, Fanta and Dasani water said that global sales volume rose 3 percent in the period. That reflected a 6-percent increase in non-carbonated …

  Washington—United States Vice President Joe Biden said he won’t be a candidate in the 2016 White House campaign, solidifying Hillary Rodham Clinton’s status as the Democratic front-runner and the party’s likely heir to President Barack Obama’s legacy. 

Longmont, Colorado—In an anonymous office building in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, in a part of Colorado where cattle ranches fade into strip malls, a gravel-voiced man with a Brooklyn accent is moving through the streets of Pyongyang. 

Montreal, Canada—DeMarre Carroll scored 16 points and Kyle Lowry had 13 to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 92-82 win over the Washington Wizards last Friday (last Saturday in Manila) in the final preseason game for both.