PSEi continues to decline

The local stock barometer slipped for the third session Friday, reversing modest gains in early trade, as investors pocketed gains from blue chip stocks.

The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 78.09 points or 1.22 percent to close at 6,339.26. For the week, the index declined by 51.98 points or 0.81 percent.

After 18 days of foreign investors being net buyers, there was net foreign selling for the day amounting to P267 million as high prices as the main index breached 6,400 encouraged profit-taking.

Most counters declined, led by the financial, holding firm and services counters, which all slumped more than 1 percent. Only the property counter had a modest gain.

Across the region, stock markets were mostly firmer after an overnight rebound in US equities after Wall Street got over initial jitters on US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen’s hint of a potential rise in US interest rates as soon as six months after the end of the tapering of monetary stimulus. Investors also took heart from a better-than-expected factory output in the US report.

The PSEi was weighed down most by a selldown on JG Summit (-5.24 percent), Aboitiz Equity Ventures (-4.88 percent) and Energy Development Corp. (-4.11 percent). PLDT, Globe, BDO and GT Capital also slipped more than 2 percent while SM Investments Corp. and Meralco lost more than 1 percent.

On the other hand, LT Group (+1.88 percent) bucked the day’s downturn despite reporting lower 2013 pro-forma earnings due to slower tobacco, banking and manufacturing businesses. Ayala Land was likewise up 1.23 percent.

Value turnover was heavy at P13.34 billion. There were as many advancers as there were decliners (79) while 47 stocks were unchanged. Doris C. Dumlao