PSEi starts 2026 past 6,100 mark

MANILA, Philippines — The local bourse started 2026 on a high note, with the index climbing above the 6,100 mark — its strongest in three months.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) jumped 1.36 percent, or 82.14 points, to finish at 6,135.06 on the first trading session of the new year.

The broader All Shares likewise added 1.26 percent or 43.81 points to 3,517.05.

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Majority of the key sectors began the year in the green, with miners leading the growth with 3.07 percent gains. Only the services ended in the red on Friday.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said this was the PSEi’s highest closing since Sept. 22, 2025, when the market hit 6,214.83.

Ricafort and Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp., both said the latest improvement in the local factory activity lifted investors’ sentiment.

“Buying pressure was seen across the board throughout the day. Additionally, the release of positive PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) figures for December helped renew investor confidence, supporting optimism for economic growth,” Limlingan said.

Manufacturing PMI shows growth

Based on S&P Global’s latest monthly survey of around 400 firms, the country’s PMI rose to 50.2 in December.

READ: Philippine factory activity returns to growth in December

This was an improvement from a four-year low of 47.4 in November. It signaled that the sector had returned to expansion mode.

Philstocks financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco, meanwhile, said investors picked up cheap stocks “with hopes that the local economy would perform better this year.”

Tantiangco, however, noted that trading was “thin,” with net value turnover reaching only P3.80 billion.

“[This implied] that many are still on the sidelines due to the market and economic uncertainties,” he said.

ACEN Corp. emerged as the top index performer, jumping 6.99 percent to P2.91. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. was the main laggard, dropping 2.03 percent to P555.50.

Winners overwhelmed losers at 146 to 65, while 64 names were unchanged. INQ