Manila: Profit-taking ended the Philippine Stock Exchange index's two-day slide on Thursday, and the Philippine peso ended unchanged against the US dollar.

According to Philippines News Agency, the local bourse's main index rose by 0.24 percent to 6,283.12 points, with the broader All Shares increasing by 0.17 percent to 3,427.07 points. Most of the sectoral indices also posted gains, led by Financials which surged 1.20 percent, followed by Holding Firms at 0.42 percent, Industrial at 0.09 percent, and Property at 0.08 percent. In contrast, the Mining and Oil index dipped 1.10 percent and Services declined by 0.44 percent.

Volume on the trading floor remained thin, with nearly 586.89 million shares traded, amounting to PHP5.23 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners at 93 to 85, with 59 shares unchanged. Philstocks Research noted that bargain-hunting dominated the market, but sentiment remained cautious as evidenced by the thin value turnover. The cautious atmosphere is attributed to the downside risks posed by the US-Iran conflict, including rising global prices and the weakening of the Peso against the US dollar.

The Philippine peso maintained its position against the US dollar, ending the day unchanged at 61.75. It opened at 61.74, slightly fluctuating between 61.75 and 61.72, with an average rate for the day at 61.74. The volume for the currency reached USD1.53 billion, an increase from the previous day's USD1.27 billion.