Local stocks rebound on lower crude prices, year-end window dressing
Philippine stocks climbed as a stronger peso and a retreat in crude oil prices spurred bargain hunting following a brief bout of profit-taking.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index advanced 23.34 points, or 0.39 percent, to end at 6,079.02 on Wednesday, Dec. 17. While the services sector led the gains, the property gauge bucked the trend to finish lower.
Trading remained active with 1.56 billion shares valued at ₱5.99 billion changing hands. Advancers beat decliners 97 to 88, while 59 issues were unchanged.
The market rose as investors moved in on shares at attractive price levels following the previous session’s decline, according to Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development Corp.
The peso’s appreciation against the United States (US) dollar provided additional support to the positive sentiment, Limlingan said.
The local gains come amid a mixed finish on Wall Street, where healthcare and energy stocks weighed on benchmarks as traders parsed shifting economic data.
U.S. nonfarm payrolls grew by 64,000 in November, while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6 percent, complicating the outlook for the US Federal Reserve policy amid ongoing trade tensions.
The PSEi also benefited from global crude oil prices hitting their lowest levels since early 2025, according to Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.
Lower energy costs support a more benign inflation outlook, which could justify future interest rate cuts by the Fed and potentially the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Ricafort said. He added that year-end window-dressing by fund managers likely contributed to the day's upward move.