Regional roadshow to promote ‘Asean Stars’ set for January

Listed stocks in the country were among the top performers in the region, as the Philippine Stock Exchange emerged the lone gainer among seven exchanges in Southeast Asia at the close of trading last week.

On Friday, the main-share PSE index gained 26.2 points or 0.45 percent to close at 5,823.94.

In contrast, the six other members of the Asean Exchanges showed losses, with the biggest loser, Vietnam index of Ho Chi Minh City, shedding 0.73 percent to 396.78 points.

The Hanoi Stock Exchange index also of Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur Composite index of Bursa Malaysia (BM), Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index, Straits Times index of Singapore Exchange (SGX) and JSX Composite index of Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) also declined.

While none of the PSE’s top 30 blue-chip stocks were among the most actively traded as of last Friday, five of them made it to the Top 30 list in terms of volume.

These were Megaworld Corp., placing second with 73.4 million shares; Metro Pacific Investments Corp., fifth with 42.6 million; Energy Development Corp., seventh with 30.1 million; SM Prime Holdings Inc., 17th with 23.4 million and Ayala Land Inc., 29th with 16.4 million.

IDX dominated trading by volume with 11 stocks in the list while SGX had six. BM completes the list with one stock.

The Asean Exchanges has scheduled for the first quarter of 2013 a regional roadshow to promote the Top 30 blue-chip stocks of each member-country—called the Asean Stars—as a “highly investable” basket of assets for retail investors.

Dubbed Invest Asean 2013, the tour will roll out first in Bangkok on Jan. 12, Singapore on Feb. 2 and Kuala Lumpur on March 2.

Data from Asean Exchanges show that its seven members have a combined market capitalization of more than $2 trillion, covering more than 3,000 companies.

Also, six PSE blue chips made the top 30 list of net gainers. These are PLDT Co. at second; SM Investments Corp., fourth; Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank), 12th; JG Summit Holdings Inc., 16th; DMCI Holdings Inc., 17th and SM Prime, 29th.

However, two local stocks were among the top net losers—Globe Telecom Inc., second and Ayala Corp., 13th.

In terms of percentage change gains, seven Philippine stocks were among the top 30. These include JG Summit (+3.16 percent), SM Prime (+2.23 percent), Metrobank (+2.6 percent), DMCI (+2 percent), SM Investments (+1.83 percent), Belle Corp. (+1.67 percent), and PLDT (+1.18 percent).

IDX had more percentage gainers with nine stocks in the list while SET had six.

The interconnection of the region’s stock exchanges through the Asean Trading Link started in September with the linkup of the Singapore and Malaysia bourses. Thailand hooked up in mid-October.

The PSE, IDX and Vietnam’s HNX and HOSE will connect at a later date, which has yet to be announced. Ronnel W. Domingo