Profit-taking continued to pull down the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) as sentiment was weighed down by the weaker peso, which fell to a new record low of ₱59.44 versus the United States (US) dollar on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
The main index dropped 18.95 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 6,389.81. Services and banks fell while the majority of sectors actually advanced.
Volume improved to 1.86 billion shares worth ₱6.92 billion. Losers edged out gainers—97 to 95, with 71 unchanged.
“The PSEi ended lower as continued profit-taking was seen in the market. Investors remained cautious amid mixed buying and selling pressure,” said Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan.
He added that, “Market sentiment was further weighed down as the peso continued to depreciate against the US dollar.”
Philstocks Financial Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco said, “Late day selling sent the local market lower this Wednesday as sentiment was dampened by the recent rise in global oil prices amid the tensions in Iran.”
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the PSEi again corrected slightly lower for the second straight trading day—still considered a healthy profit-taking—after the reduction of the government’s infrastructure spending target for 2026 to 4.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.1 percent of GDP previously.