Stocks snap slump on bargain hunting, Middle East relief
Local equities snapped a streak of losses, joining the broader regional rally as diplomatic efforts to ease Middle East tensions soothed investor anxiety and drove oil prices down.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) advanced 32.09 points, or 0.53 percent, to close at 6,069.26. Despite the headline gain, underlying market sentiment remained mixed, with sectoral indices finishing evenly split.
Trading volume fell to 544 million shares valued at ₱4.63 billion. Decliners outnumbered gainers 102 to 89, while 61 stocks remained unchanged.
Market participants switched to bargain-hunting mode to pick up select large-cap stocks at attractive valuations following the previous session's downturn, according to Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development Corporation.
The local bourse tracked a broader recovery across Asian equity markets, which provided a supportive backdrop for Manila shares. However, Limlingan noted that the upside remained capped as persistent concerns over elevated inflation forecasts continued to cloud the longer-term market outlook.
Investor sentiment received a boost from optimism surrounding US-Iran negotiations and wider regional diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict, according to Japhet Tantiangco, research manager at Philstocks Financial.
The potential for a diplomatic breakthrough helped push international crude prices lower, easing fears of energy-driven inflationary pressures for oil-importing economies like the Philippines.
Domestic economic data also provided fundamental support for the market's upward move. The PSEi’s gains were reinforced by the latest manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, which expanded for a second consecutive month to hit a three-month high, according to Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.