Share prices close higher

Philippine stocks on Thursday set a new record for the year as sentiments stayed positive.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 0.51 percent, or 32.19 points, to 6,354.79. Also, the broader all-shares index was up by 0.37 percent, or 14.14 points, to 3,332.40.

Subindices ended mixed, with financial, services as well as mining and oil, closing in the red. The industrial, holding firms, and property subcounters ended positive.

“With only a day left in February trade, the market is still obviously in the hands of the bulls,” Accord Capital Equities Corp. said in a report Thursday.

Data from the PSE showed that a total of 3.42 billion shares, valued at P7.76 billion, changed hands. There were 90 advancers against 68 decliners, while 44 stocks were unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp. led the list of most actively traded stocks as it gained 2.19 percent to P140 a share. It was followed by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (-0.52 percent to P2,684), Megaworld Corp. (+1.22 percent to P4.15), Ayala Land Inc. (+4.29 percent to P29.20), and International Container Terminal ( -1.98 percent to P99 per share).  Miguel R. Camus