MANILA – Investors’ wait-and-see stance for US data on retail sales and jobless claims, among others, resulted in the sideways close of both the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) and the peso on Monday.
The main equities index finished the week’s first trading day up by 0.08 percent, or 5.44 points, to 7,197.61 points.
All Shares followed with a 0.06 percent, or 2.36 points, increase to 3,832.79 points.
Half of the sectoral counters gained during the day and these are the Financials, 1.07 percent; Property, 1.06 percent; and Mining and Oil, 0.69 percent.
On the other hand, Services declined by 0.50 percent; Holding Firms, 0.44 percent; and Industrial, 0.22 percent.
Volume reached 1.64 billion shares amounting to PHP6.66 billion.
Decliners surpassed advancers at 96 to 93, while 57 shares were unchanged.
Regina Capital Development Corporation (RCDC) head of sales Luis Limlingan said the local bourse started the week on a quiet note ahead of the releases for the week and the figures’ impact on the global economy.
Limlingan noted the last policy meetings for this year of the Federal Reserve on December 14-15 and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) on December 16.
Meanwhile, the peso finished the day at 50.32 against the US dollar, little changed from its 50.35 close Friday last week.
It opened the trade at 50.28 and ranged between 50.37 and 50.28.
The average level for the day stood at 50.332.
Volume totaled USD658.1 million, lower than the USD696.3 million in the previous session. (PNA)
