Bargain hunting boosts PSEi despite higher inflation rate
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) inched up on Tuesday, April 7, as bargain hunting prevailed despite the impact of the higher-than-expected inflation rate on investor sentiment.
The main index added 9.54 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 5,957.87. Miners led the advance while the property and industrial sectors declined.
Volume was thin at 1.27 billion shares worth ₱5.82 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers—120 to 76, with 65 unchanged.
“Philippine shares edged higher as the PSEi rebounded on bargain hunting following the previous session’s decline. Gains came despite a higher-than-expected inflation print, as investors cautiously accumulated positions,” said Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan.
Sentiment remained fragile amid renewed tensions in Iran that could prolong the oil crisis and further elevate inflation risks.
Philstocks Financial Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco said the local market traded sideways as investors digested the Philippines’ March inflation rate, which came in at 4.1 percent, exceeding the government’s target.
“In the end, however, bargain hunting prevailed causing the local bourse to have a positive close. Trading was still tepid as many stayed on the sidelines amid the lingering uncertainties over the war,” he noted.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the higher inflation rate could lead to interest rate hikes to bring it back to within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) target range of two to four percent.