PSEi tumbles on Fed jitters

PSE trading floor AFP PHOTO / Jay DIRECTO

A global equities bloodbath spilled over to the local stock market on Monday, as the stronger-than-expected US jobs data spawned concerns that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) may turn more hawkish to curb resurgent inflation.

The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 194.75 points or 2.21 percent to close at 8,616, marking its worst single-day performance in two years.

Only last week, the local stock barometer broke into new highs past 9,000.

Across global markets, stock markets tumbled as last Friday’s US payrolls report showed wages growing more than expected and at their fastest pace in more than 8.5 years, fuelling inflation expectations.

On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Index lost 665.75 points or 2.54 percent while the future markets suggested that the rout isn’t over.

“A strong US jobs report, including robust average hourly earnings, helped the (US) dollar snap a seven-week losing streak Friday. (US) Treasuries continued to struggle amid increasing market conviction that the Fed will keep on hiking rates,” said BDO Unibank chief strategist Jonathan Ravelas.

At the local market on Monday, all counters ended lower but the worst hit was the interest rate-sensitive property counter which fell by 3.14 percent.

This Thursday during its first monetary policy setting for the year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is seen to keep its key interest rates unchanged but investors are also bracing for a shift to a hawkish tone as a prelude to a rate hike in March.

At the local market, The industrial, holding firm and mining/oil counters all tumbled by over 2 percent while the services counter fell by 1.21 percent.

Total value turnover for the day amounted to P8.51 billion. There were 170 decliners that overwhelmed 33 advancers while 38 stocks were unchanged.

Investors dumped shares of Metro Pacific, which fell by 5.11 percent, while property giant SM Prime and fast-food giant Jollibee both slid by over 4 percent.

URC and its parent conglomerate JG Summit slipped by over 3 percent along with Ty family-led GT Capital.

Ayala Land, SM Investments, Security Bank, Megaworld and Meralco all declined by over 2 percent.

BPI bucked the day’s downturn after announcing robust fourth quarter results. The bank’s fourth quarter profit rose by 14.9 percent to P5.37 billion, bringing full-year net profit to P22.42 billion or 1.7 percent higher than the previous year.

Outside the PSEi, there was active trading on TBGI – one of those benefitting from a third telco play – as its share price rose by 3.33 percent.