Manila: Continued rise of global crude oil prices to above USD100 per barrel resulted in the negative close of both the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) and the Philippine peso on Friday. The local bourse's main index shed 0.03 percent to 6,281.01 points, and the broader All Shares by 0.13 percent to 3,422.48 points. Half of the sectoral gauges also finished in the red: Financials, 1.38 percent; Property, 0.54 percent; and Industrial, 0.37 percent. On the other hand, Services rose by 1.03 percent; Mining and Oil, 0.58 percent; and Holding Firms, 0.10 percent. Volume reached 597.64 million shares amounting to PHP5.73 billion. Decliners led advancers at 90 to 81, while 69 shares were unchanged.

According to Philippines News Agency, 'The local bourse ended lower as crude oil prices climbed above the USD100-per-barrel level, raising concerns over inflationary pressures. Investors also remained cautious as they assessed the impact of the new US tariffs on the Philippines,' Luis Limlingan, Regina Capital Development Corporation head of sales, said. 'Sentiment was weighed down by uncertainty over the potential effects of higher trade costs on the domestic economy and corporate earnings,' he added.

Relatively, the local currency finished the day at 61.84 against the U.S. dollar, weaker than its 61.75 close Thursday. It opened the day already weaker at 61.8, from the previous session's 61.74. It traded between 61.85 and 61.78, bringing the average for the day to 61.84. Volume went down to USD969.38 million from day-ago's USD1.53 billion.