PSEi kicks off 2026 on positive note

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) started 2026 on a high note, climbing above the 6,100 mark — its strongest in three months.

The 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.

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.

READ: Philippine factory activity returns to growth in December

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.

READ: Enhancing manufacturing with skilled workers

“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.

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