Market ends 3-day gain; AC Energy, Globe climb

Stocks fell Tuesday to end a three-day advance, pulling down the benchmark index below the 7,000-point mark, after a gathering of top oil producers fell apart without any agreement on a plan to lift output despite stockpiles shrinking and demand surging along with the global economic recovery.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 43 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 6,992.43.

The broader all-share index also retreated 16 points, or 0.4 percent, to settle at 4,298.66 on a value turnover of P5 billion.  Losers outnumbered gainers, 112 to 96, while 52 issues were unchanged.

Five of the ten most active stocks ended in the green, led by AC Energy Corp. which rose 2.7 percent to P8.70 and Globe Telecom Inc. which gained 2.3 percent to P1,964.

Equity markets were mixed in Asia, with the US Independence Day break Monday meaning there were few buying catalysts.

Hong Kong’s tech firms remained in focus owing to fears that a new crackdown on the sector by Chinese authorities will make them unattractive to investors.

But eyes were on oil after Brent broke above $77 for the first time since 2018 while WTI also rallied.

The OPEC+ group on Monday cancelled a planned meeting that was supposed to overcome an impasse between the United Arab Emirates and other members on how to lift output. No new date has been set.

The countries have been slowly lifting production in recent months after turning the taps down last year in response to a collapse in prices caused by coronavirus lockdowns.

With demand rocketing on the back of the global rebound—and the US holiday driving season under way—officials had planned to hike output by 400,000 barrels a day each month from August to December, but the deadlock means no new supplies will be forthcoming.

But while prices are spiraling higher, analysts said there were several possible scenarios. In one, there is no deal and no increase in production, sending oil prices shooting up, while another sees the grouping falling apart and countries fighting for market share by slashing prices.

“The failure of OPEC+ to come to an agreement will only add further uncertainty to the oil market,” said Warren Patterson from ING Group NV.

“Assuming we don’t get a quick resolution, the uncertainty over OPEC+ output in the months ahead does suggest increased volatility.”

The brewing crisis has also brought inflation back into play, with the rally in commodities playing a key role in the spike in prices around the world in recent months.

The risk of oil at $100 a barrel “is so correlated with short-run inflation that it will make the market very, very edgy, and we know that the Federal Reserve is both watching the economic data but also markets”, Alan Higgins, at Coutts & Co, told Bloomberg TV.

On equity markets, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta all rose but Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila were in negative territory.

Hong Kong extended Monday’s losses as traders remain on edge following Beijing’s ban of Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing from app stores after a probe of its use of personal data, days after the firm’s massive New York IPO.

Mainland officials then widened their probe to two other US-traded Chinese tech firms, leading to concerns about a fresh drive against the industry.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s leader brushed off a warning by tech titans including Google, Facebook and Twitter that they could quit the city if it pushes ahead with a new privacy law they fear could hold them and their employees liable to prosecution for users’ content.  With AFP