Local shares plummeted below the 6,300 level Friday following Wall Street’s losses and a continued increase in oil prices.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index ended the week at 6,320.41, down 60.12 points, or 0.94 percent. The wider All Shares index closed at 3,494.99, lower by 31 points, or 0.88 percent.
Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to weigh on global sentiment. Limlingan said the weakening of the peso against the dollar further dampened investor confidence and pressured equities across key sectors.
The peso also slid to 59 to the US dollar Friday from 58.63 Thursday.
Analysts said investors are worried the war between Iran and the United States, now in its seventh day, will push crude prices above $100 per barrel. At this level, investors are concerned inflation will rise and eventually hurt global economic growth.
Among the sub-indices, only the property sector ended in positive territory, up 0.28 percent. The mining and oil index declined the most, down 2.21 percent, followed by financials, which dropped 2.14 percent.
Value turnover amounted to P6.1 billion. The market ended with 69 gainers versus 116 losers, while 62 stocks closed unchanged. Foreign investors remained net sellers with outflows totaling P229.74 million.
Despite the market’s steep decline, shares of PLDT Inc. rose 0.37 percent to P1,355. On the other hand, shares of Cebu Air Inc. dropped 5.6 percent to P32.90 on concerns about the impact of higher oil prices on business.
Asian markets mostly down Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked to ease supply concerns.
After a torrid week on trading floors, investors were limping into the weekend wondering when the US-Israel war on Iran, and Tehran’s attacks across the Gulf region, will come to an end.
Equities across the world have been battered by the crisis, which has sent crude prices soaring by about a fifth since February 27 — the day before the attacks started — and fanned fears of a fresh spike in inflation that could hit the global economy.
While there was a midweek bounce, analysts warned that the longer the conflict goes on, the worse it will be for markets to absorb.
“It is too soon to suggest that stocks have bottomed,” wrote IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp.
“Unless the war ends soon — and if anything a more intense conflict seems more likely — markets will struggle. Volatility remains elevated, which means we should expect plenty of two-way price action, but a continued decline for the moment seems likely, even with short-term bounces along the way.”
And the battle looks set to be drawn out, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning Thursday that the Islamic republic was neither asking for a ceasefire nor negotiations with the United States.
After a fresh selloff on Wall Street, Asia largely followed suit.
Sydney, Wellington, Taipei, Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta all reiterated while Singapore was flat.
Seoul, which was pummeled almost 19 percent over Tuesday and Wednesday before bouncing more than nine percent Thursday, ended flat after recovering an early drop.
London, Paris and Frankfurt all opened slightly higher.
Investors were growing increasingly worried that the spike in crude prices will push inflation back up and force central banks to re-evaluate plans to cut interest rates, with some analysts warning that they could even contemplate hikes.
While Iran has not officially shut off the Strait of Hormuz, shipping through the waterway has all but dried up.
Still, there was some reprieve on the oil front as both main contracts eased — though they later pared the early losses — after US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said officials were looking at plans to temper the price gains.
He told Bloomberg “everything is being considered”, with options including tapping the country’s reserves, possibly in tandem with other nations.
With that in mind, the White House on Thursday temporarily eased sanctions against Russia to allow its oil currently stranded at sea to be sold to India until April 3.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waiver was issued “to enable oil to keep flowing into the global market.”
Earlier this week US President Donald Trump pledged to protect ships through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude supplies and a substantial amount of gas run.
Other countries have also moved to address the issue, with China asking its largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, according to Bloomberg News.
However, prices remain elevated. Brent at one point rose around 19 percent since Friday, while WTI had spiked more than 22 percent, having topped $80 a barrel for the first time since January last year.
Chris Weston at Pepperstone added that investors were trading with an eye on possible developments over the weekend.
“With volatility at elevated levels, traders face the possibility of a significant gap move in either direction when markets reopen on Monday,” he wrote.
“For now, all eyes remain on the weekend news flow and any developments that could determine the next major move in global energy markets,” he added. With AFP
