Manila: A confluence of factors, including the drop in global oil prices and appreciation of the peso against the U.S. dollar, further lifted the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) above the 6,000-level Thursday. The local bourse's main gauge rose 1.12 percent to 6,034.27 points, and the broader All Shares by 0.98 percent to 3,396.41 points.

According to Philippines News Agency, all the sectoral gauges tracked the main index, led by Financials after it rose 2.73 percent. Industrial followed with a jump of 1.62 percent, along with Mining and Oil, 0.94 percent; Property, 0.45 percent; Holding Firms, 0.38 percent; and Services, 0.35 percent. Volume was thin at 892 million shares amounting to PHP7.92 billion. Advancers led gainers at 125 to 83, while 53 shares were unchanged.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort noted that the Nymex crude oil benchmark declined to USD93 per barrel amid market optimism that the US and Iran could be nearing a deal to end the war, as US President Donald Trump signaled that the conflict might conclude within a week or before his visit to Beijing on May 14, 2026.

The local currency finished the day at 60.42, better than its 61.305 close a day ago. It opened at 60.85 during the day, an appreciation from its 61.35 start in the previous session. It traded between 60.9 and 60.34, bringing the day's average to 60.69. Volume reached USD2.4 billion, up from the day-ago's USD1.46 billion.