PSEi falls after foreign investment pledges plunged 50%
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell on continued profit-taking on Friday, Feb. 13, after the government reported a steep fall in foreign investment pledges.
The main index dropped 86.67 points, or 1.34 percent, to close at 6,384.58. Miners led the retreat across the board.
Volume increased to 984 million shares worth ₱8.35 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers—115 to 74, with 82 unchanged.
“The PSEi ended lower as selling pressure persisted throughout the session,” said Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan.
He noted that, “Market sentiment was dampened after foreign investment in the country plunged by 50 percent, raising concerns over capital inflows. The decline reflected cautious positioning among investors amid possible weakening in external confidence.”
Philstocks Financial Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco said, “The local market declined as it tracked Wall Street’s performance overnight. Investors traded cautiously while waiting for the United States (US) January inflation figures, which are expected to give clues on the Federal Reserve’s (US Fed) policy outlook.”
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the PSEi corrected lower for the second straight day after US stock markets dropped to one-week lows from new record highs amid concerns over potential artificial intelligence (AI)-related process on some software companies and also in some industries.
For the week, the PSEi is lower slightly by 6.33 points, but Ricafort said, “It is important to note that the PSEi is still consistently trading above 6,000 for most days for two months already or since Dec. 12, 2025, still considered a positive signal,” citing that the near-term bottom was already seen at 5,584.35 last Nov. 14, 2025.