The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rallied by almost 200 points on Monday, Nov. 17, as the two-day protest action against corruption turned out to be peaceful, contrary to what some fearmongers had predicted.
The main index surged 194.77 points, or 3.49 percent, to close at 5,779.12. Banks led the charge, while miners lagged behind due to lower gold prices.
Volume was steady at 1.12 billion shares worth ₱6.76 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers—115 to 74, with 59 unchanged.
“The PSEi corrected sharply higher after major religious and other groups in the country expressed support to the Constitution and upheld the rule of law and did not ask for leadership change in the country,” said Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort.
He noted that the protest rallies over the weekend turned out to be peaceful.
Bargain-hunting was also fueled by the faster growth in the latest overseas Filipino workers (OFW) remittances data to among record highs on a monthly basis, the fifth highest on record, that could support consumer spending.
“The PSEi ended higher as the market took advantage of last Friday’s steep decline to buy stocks at a bargain. However, there is still no prevailing catalyst to drive long-term market momentum, as uncertainty remains regarding the country’s economic growth,” said Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan.
Philstocks Financial Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco said, “The local market bounced back as investors hunted for bargains following last Friday’s steep decline. Investors also cheered the United States’ (US) decision to cut their tariffs on selected agricultural commodities.”