Philippine stocks barely managed to stay above the 6,500 level as the index plummeted by more than 100 points on Tuesday as the peso slid to 58.87 against the US dollar and ahead of key policy meetings by the US Federal Reserve and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 113.45 points. or 1.72 percent, to close at 6,501.71, while the broader all shares index declined by 42.30 points, or 1.13 percent, to settle at 3,710.21.
“The local market plunged as investors kept a cautious stance while waiting for the policy meetings of the Federal Reserve and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” Philstocks Financial Inc. research head Japhet Tantiangco said.
“More than the interest rate decision, investors are looking forward to the policy outlook of both central banks, especially that of the Federal Reserve given the upside risks to the US’ inflation caused by president-elect Donald Trump’s planned protectionist policies,” he said.
All sectors were in the negative territory, with the banks incurring the biggest loss of 2.52 percent, followed by property which declined 1.3 percent.
Decliners edged advancers, 124 to 65. Foreigners were net sellers, adding to the market’s woes with net foreign outflows reaching P1.36 billion. Value turnover stood at P6.43 billion.
JG Summit Holdings Inc. was the top index gainer, rising 2.55 percent to P20.10, while Monde Nissin Corp. was the main index laggard, dropping 7.5 percent to P7.40.
Meanwhile, most Asian markets fell Tuesday as attention turned to the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy decision, with traders hoping for guidance on its interest rate plans as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.
The decision, which is expected to see officials lower borrowing costs again, comes in a busy week for central banks, with announcements in Japan and Britain also due.
Investors are keeping tabs on Beijing after Chinese leaders’ latest measures to kickstart the economy fell short of expectations, with weak retail sales data Monday reinforcing the need for more support.
The Fed is widely expected to lower rates for the third meeting in a row Wednesday as it looks to guide the world’s top economy to a soft landing, though its statement will be pored over for clues about next year’s outlook.
Investors have started paring their bets on how many times it will cut over the next 12 months owing to still-sticky inflation, a strong labour market and uncertainty about Trump, who has pledged to slash taxes and impose tariffs on imports.
Stefan Hofrichter, head of global economics and strategy at Allianz GI, said the US economy had defied warnings of a recession and growth was expected to power ahead, adding the firm’s “base case scenario remains a ‘soft landing’ for the US and world economies”.
However, he added: “The wild card is what happens after Donald Trump takes office as US president. The lavish spending he’s proposed could boost US growth in the short term.
“But the impact of the higher tariffs he’s mooted for US trading partners may also dampen the outlook for Europe. We need to wait to see the extent to which his election campaign promises become policy.”
Wall Street ended mostly on the front foot, with a surge in tech giants helping the Nasdaq to a record high, but Asia was unable to pick up the baton.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta all fell, though Sydney and Wellington rose.
London, Paris and Frankfurt dropped at the open.
Bitcoin hit another record high of $107,791 on continued optimism that Trump will introduce measures to deregulate the cryptocurrency market.
The Fed rate decision will be followed Thursday by announcements in Japan and Britain.
Opinion is split on whether the Bank of Japan will unveil a third hike of the year — having lifted in March for the first time in 17 years — as officials in Tokyo look to shift the country away from years of ultra-loose policies.
Still, while the BoJ and Fed are on course to bring their rates closer together, the yen is struggling to strengthen and is stuck around 154 per dollar. With AFP
