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MANILA, Philippines —Moody’s Ratings affirmed the investment-grade ratings and stable outlooks of Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI) and BDO Unibank Inc., while warning that the banks may face higher credit costs as they build buffers against potential deterioration in loan quality stemming from the Middle East crisis and its impact on retail borrowers.

In separate actions on May 20, the debt watcher maintained its “Baa2” ratings on both banks, with the stable outlook signaling no expected rating change over the next one to two years.

For BPI, Moody’s said its decision reflected the bank’s strong profitability, adequate capital, healthy liquidity, and stable funding supported by its solid deposit franchise.

READ: Moody’s keeps ‘Baa2’ rating on 3 Philippine banks