PSE INDEX DECLINES

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index declined today by 77.63 points or 1.10 percent to 6,966.43 points on lack of a catalyst, with all sectors down in hefty trading, with market bellwether SM figuring in another P10 billion transaction, its third straight.

With the SM deal, total value turnover hit P19.354 billion, with the financials and the property subsectors getting the hits in a day that saw losers overwhelm gainers, 145 to 82 with 45 shares unchanged.

The other sectors that declined were industrials, by 0.53 percent, holding firms, 0.84 percent, services, 0.63 percent, and mining and oil. 0.53 percent.

Of the top ten active stocks bannered by SM, which lost P10 to P1,060, only Apollo Global posted a gain, up P0.022 to P0.265, emerging as the third most active with P692 million.

It came after Dito CME, which lost 20 centavos to P17.78 on trades of P882 million.

Net foreign selling hit P947 million on foreign buying of P2.272 billion and foreign selling of P3.219 billion.

BDO Unibank had foreign selling of P187 million, as it declined by P3.40 to P105.60, while PLDT, with foreign selling of P92 million, went down by P22 to P1,352.

BPI, even with foreign buying of P64 million, lost 60 centavos to P85.20.

Converge dropped by 70 centavos to P18.14, with foreign selling of P75 million, while Premiere Horizon lost 12 centavos to P2.67 on trades of P405 million.

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