MANILA – Anxieties over the impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continued to impact both Philippine equities and the local currency on Wednesday.
The peso ended the day’s trading at 50.83 from 50.75 the previous day, which BPI Research pointed to jitters on the coronavirus from China, where cases of infection were reported to have risen to about 5,974 and the death toll to 132.
The rise of the US Conference Board’s consumer confidence index to 131.6 last January also boosted the dollar, it said.
The peso opened the day at 50.72, better than its 50.9 start in the previous session, trading between 50.85 and 50.695 and resulting in an average of 50.773.
Volume totaled USD884.55 million, higher than the USD778.1 million on Tuesday.
The currency pair is projected to trade between 50.70 and 51.00 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) shed 0.09 percent, or 6.39 points, to 7,462.31 points.
All Shares trailed with a drop of 0.24 percent, or 10.61 points, to 4,425.06 points.
Mining and Oil declined the most by 2.8 percent, followed by the Industrial, 0.62 percent; Financials, 0.30 percent; and Holding Firms, 0.28 percent.
The Property index rose by 0.52 percent and Services by 0.20 percent.
Volume totaled 496 million amounting to PHP4.96 billion.
Losers led gainers at 118 to 69, while 42 shares were unchanged. (PNA)
