PSEi up in thin trade

Philippine stocks managed to end positive, albeit with smaller than typical volumes, amid weakness in the region.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.16 percent, or 12.30 points, to 7,665.52 yesterday while the broader all-shares index was also up 0.13 percent, or 5.62 points, to 4,375.15.

Subsectors were mainly positive, with only the financial sub-index declining by about 0.08 percent. Mining and oil as well as industrial companies topped gainers each with a 0.67 percent increase, followed by property, which rose 0.25 percent.

A total of 2.98 billion shares changed hands for P5.8 billion, data from the PSE showed. There were 74 advancers while 94 companies declined and 44 companies closed unchanged.

The Gokongwei group’s Universal Robina Corp. led the list of most actively traded stocks as it rose 2.57 percent to P191.50 a share. This was followed by Semirara Mining Corp., up 1.69 percent to P120; Ayala Corp., up 1.29 percent to P787; Globe Telecom, down 0.08 percent to P2,526, and GT Capital Holdings, up 0.28 percent to P1,410.

Other actively traded companies were Bank of the Philippine Islands, up 0.31 percent to P96.55; Ayala Land Inc, up 1.04 percent to P38.90; BDO Unibank Inc., down 0.1 percent to P104.90; Jollibee Foods Corp., up 0.89 percent to P192, and SM Prime Holdings, down 0.93 percent to P21.30 a share. Miguel R. Camus