MANILA – Following a two-day Christmas break, both the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) and the peso finished the week with gains, reflecting renewed investor activity.
The PSEi climbed 0.39 percent, settling at 6,065.64 points, in line with forecasts that the index would retest the 6,000 level. The broader All Shares index also advanced, rising 0.50 percent to 3,464.66 points.
Most sectors posted positive results, led by Mining and Oil, which jumped 3.18 percent. Property gained 1.38 percent, Services rose 0.55 percent, and Financials added 0.54 percent. Meanwhile, Industrial stocks dipped 0.20 percent, and Holding Firms edged down 0.08 percent.
Trading activity totaled 1.04 billion shares, amounting to PHP2.77 billion in value. Advancers outpaced decliners 107 to 80, while 60 stocks remained unchanged.
The peso strengthened against the US dollar, closing at PHP58.71 from PHP58.85 last Tuesday. After reopening at 58.75, the currency briefly hit 58.71 before trading around 58.84, averaging 58.80 for the session. Total foreign exchange turnover reached USD1.06 billion, slightly below last Tuesday’s USD1.14 billion.
