Manila: The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended 2025 on the red, reversing its rise for the last three sessions, but the Philippine peso finished sideways against the United States dollar. The local bourse's main index shed 0.21 percent to 6,052.92 points, but the broader All Shares rose 0.25 percent to 3,473.24 points.
According to Philippines News Agency, most of the sectoral gauges ended on the red, namely Mining and Oil, 1.17 percent; Property, 1.08 percent; Financials, 0.88 percent; and Services, 0.13 percent. On the other hand, Holding Firms rose 1.09 percent and Industrial, 0.44 percent. Volume reached 727.82 million shares, amounting to PHP4.29 billion. Advancers led decliners at 139 to 75, while 56 shares were unchanged.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort traced the PSEi's drop partly to bargain-hunting after the index's rise last week, noting that the markets are still on holiday mode recently due to the series of holidays towards the new year, which resulted in reduced trading activities and volumes. He said the index also corrected after tracking US counterparts, amid relatively thin holiday trading.
Although the main index gained for the second consecutive month this December, Ricafort mentioned that the full-year performance slipped for the fifth consecutive year due to the impact of US trade policies, geopolitical tensions, and weather-related disturbances. Looking ahead to 2026, he noted that anti-corruption measures may bolster investors' sentiments, indicating that these remain the missing link for investors' confidence in the economic and financial markets.
Meanwhile, the local currency ended the year's trading at 58.79 from its 58.71 close last week. It opened the day sideways at 58.68, and traded between 58.83 and 58.68, with the average for the day standing at 58.79. Volume went down to USD956 million from USD1.06 billion in the previous session. Ricafort stated that the peso corrected slightly against the greenback, sustaining its strength for the last four sessions, and was among the strongest in almost a month due partly to the support from seasonal inflows of overseas Filipino workers.
