PSE Index Ends Slightly Lower as Bargain Hunting Lifts Blue Chips

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index edged lower on Friday but recovered from steep intraday losses to close at its session high of 6,281.01, down 2.11 points, or 0.03 percent, as bargain hunting lifted select blue-chip stocks. Sector performance was mixed.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index, July 24, 2026

Holding firms rose 0.10 percent, while the services and mining and oil sectors gained 1.03 percent and 0.58 percent, respectively, helping the market rebound after the midday recess.

Market favorite International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) recovered, rising 1.25 percent to ₱969 on ₱2 billion in trades, accounting for roughly one-third of total market turnover.

Market bellwether SM Investments Corp. climbed 0.59 percent to ₱593, recovering from an intraday low of ₱583.

The benchmark index opened at 6,256.35 before falling to an intraday low of 6,189.23 amid early selling pressure. It later rebounded on bargain hunting to finish at its highest level of the day.

The financials sector declined 1.38 percent, led by BDO Unibank, which fell 2.38 percent.

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) dropped 1.44 percent, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) slipped 0.45 percent.

Total value turnover reached ₱5.73 billion, while foreign trades amounted to ₱5.97 billion. Foreign investors were net sellers by ₱48 million, with ₱2.959 billion in foreign buying and ₱3.007 billion in foreign selling.

Market breadth remained negative, with 90 decliners, 81 advancers, and 69 unchanged issues. Among the 10 most actively traded stocks, only ICTSI and PLDT Inc. posted gains.