The Philippine peso retreated against the greenback on Friday as escalating trade tension between the US and China prompted a flight to safe-haven US dollar.

China on Friday announced retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods ranging from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to some aircraft and warned of further measures, signaling that it won't back down in a protracted trade war with Washington.

North Korea's proclaimed shift in national focus to economic development from nuclear arms is prompting cautious optimism across the Chinese border in Dandong, a trading hub hit hard by United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.

TOKYO -- Asian stocks were steady on Friday, with gains from the tech-led rise on Wall Street capped by the latest exchange of trade threats between Beijing and Washington, while safehaven flows lifted the dollar to a two-week high.

Apple Inc became the first $1 trillion publicly listed U.S. company on Thursday, crowning a decade-long rise fueled by its ubiquitous iPhone that transformed it from a niche player in personal computers into a global powerhouse spanning entertainment and communications.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Thursday claimed the increase in the price of rice was not the cause of the recent acceleration in inflation.

“The construction sector is the largest contributor to employment among the industry subsections during the period and we believed the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program is the main driver of growth,” Bello said.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, weighed down by financials, as worries of a trade war between the United States and China were heightened after President Donald Trump proposed 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.

MetroPac Movers Inc., the logistics arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said Thursday it has acquired a 12 percent stake in logistic services provider Air21.

The Philippine peso weakened against the greenback on Thursday, as market players locked in on their gains after a four-day climb by the local currency.

Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. posted a consolidate core net income of P8.6 billion in the first half of 2018, up 10 percent from P7.8 billion a year earlier on the back strong performance across its businesses.

The U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but characterized the economy as strong, keeping the central bank on track to increase borrowing costs in September.

The S&P 500 and Dow slipped on Wednesday as gains in Apple shares were offset by a drop in energy and industrial companies, while the U.S. Federal Reserve remained on course for an expected interest rate hike in September.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday assured the business community that his government will ensure an equal playing field as long as they follow the laws and promote the welfare of the general public.

Senate approved on second reading Wednesday a bill seeking to amend the decades-old Corporation Code and introduce, among others, the concept of a one-man corporation.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as Apple's robust earnings lifted the high-growth technology sector and eased worries of an escalating trade war between the United States and China.

Fiscal spending on infrastructure exceeded the target in the first half of 2018 on the back of higher disbursements related to the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program, the Department of Budget and Management said Wednesday.

Asian shares rose on Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street, as a report of attempts to renew talks between the United States and China eased trade war fears, but investors will be keeping a close eye on data due today.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno dismissed the notion that the Philippines will fall into a debt trap as “fake news.”

Pacific Online Systems Corp. will continue to provide the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office with lottery equipment for at least another year, the publicly-listed company said Wednesday.

Property giant Megaworld Corporation is investing P28 billion for another township development poised to be the first central business district in Bacolod City.

Apple Inc on Tuesday posted quarterly results that topped Wall Street targets and forecast revenue in the current quarter above expectations, driven by sales of higher-priced iPhones and revenue from services like the App Store, Apple Music and iCloud.

U.S. stocks rebounded on Tuesday, boosted by gains in industrial shares following reports of renewed trade negotiations between the United States and China.

Petron Corp. announced on Tuesday it will hike the prices of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products on Wednesday, August 1.

House Appropriations Committee chair Karlo Nograles on Tuesday expressed concern over budget cuts for several key agencies under the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 presented by the Development Budget Coordination Committee, saying that the DBCC should have computed a bigger budget for next year.

Raising policy rates further would be the 'appropriate' step for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to take in its policy meeting next week, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said Tuesday.

Seoul, South Korea -- Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said its second quarter net profit dipped slightly from a year earlier, with a fall in smartphone sales mitigated by strong demand for its memory chips.

The proposed corporate income incentives reform law, or the second package of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion law, is a priority of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has agreed to sponsor the bill on the second package of the Tax Acceleration for Reform and Inclusion (TRAIN 2) even amid the apprehension of his colleagues.

Philippine share prices declined by more than 1 percent during the morning session on Tuesday as investors cashed in on gains from the recent uptrend.

Delays in infrastructure projects and logistics bottleneck, rising inflation, and natural hazards are among the domestic headwinds that will potentially affect the economic growth, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

A broad sell-off of technology stocks pushed the three major U.S. stock indexes lower on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite posting its third consecutive loss of more than 1 percent for the first time in three years just days after hitting a record high.

U.S. stocks dropped on Monday as marquee technology companies continued to slide on growth concerns, with losses being curbed by a rise in energy firms on higher oil prices and in financials ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting.

Bitcoin briefly fell below $8,000 on Monday as investors scaled back their exposure to cryptocurrenices, after a sell-off in shares of technology and internet companies spilled over into other risky assets.

Violence erupted at a rally at the NutriAsia plant in Marilao, Bulacan turned violent on Monday, with some 30 people from both sides hurt after the incident.