PSE Index Soars to New Level but Cools at the Close Again

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index climbed to another new level but cooled toward the close, finishing at 6,089.53 points, down 4.14 points or 0.07 percent, as investors cashed in gains amid anemic trading.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index, October 17, 2025

The market reflected a bearish-to-neutral stance following revelations about “ghost” flood control projects that have reportedly led to around ₱1 trillion in losses, dampening investor sentiment.

Only the Financials (up 0.10 percent) and Services (up 0.37 percent) sub-indices countered the prevailing pessimism.

BDO Unibank dipped 0.21 percent to ₱139.70, while Metrobank fell 0.78 percent to ₱69.85, offsetting gains in Bank of the Philippine Islands, up 1.11 percent to ₱109.20, and Union Bank, up 0.34 percent to ₱69.85.

Telecom stocks Globe Telecom and PLDT posted respective gains of 0.41 percent to ₱1,463 and 0.83 percent to ₱1,089, offsetting losses in gaming firm DigiPlus, which slumped 2.34 percent to ₱23.00.

Holding Firms declined 0.007 percent, Industrial lost 0.30 percent, Mining and Oil dropped 0.95 percent, and Property slid 1.09 percent.

Market bellwether SM Investments rose 0.54 percent, supported by gains in GT Capital, up 0.26 percent to ₱548.00, and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, up 0.34 percent to ₱29.50.

The Industrial sub-index was weighed down by losses in Cebu Air, down 0.48 percent to ₱30.90, and Universal Robina, which retreated 0.53 percent to ₱74.65.

Mining and Oil posted a 1.09 percent decline, dragged by steep dives in PXP Energy (down 5.26 percent to ₱2.88) and Philex Mining (down 3.90 percent to ₱9.61), which overshadowed gains in Apex Mining (up 0.88 percent to ₱11.44) and unchanged prices in Oriental Petroleum (₱0.001) and Philodrill (₱0.0093).

Property giants Ayala Land and SM Prime dropped 2.59 percent to ₱22.55 and 0.88 percent to ₱22.60, respectively. Robinsons Land also declined 0.54 percent to ₱14.82, while Megaworld slipped 0.50 percent to ₱1.98.

The index had an early advance, reaching an intraday high of 6,120.45 points, but later turned south as profit-taking ensued.

Philcomsat Holdings again landed in the top gainers’ list, rising 35 percent to ₱4.05, while Ayala Land was the most active stock with ₱490 million in trades.

Value turnover reached ₱4.42 billion, with net foreign selling of ₱225 million, from ₱2.215 billion in foreign buying and ₱2.441 billion in foreign selling.

There were 83 gainers, 109 losers, and 56 unchanged issues, including JG Summit, Cosco Capital, LT Group, Alternergy, and DITO CME.

Among the gainers were Philseven, ACEN Corp., Atlas Mining, Basic Energy, MREIT, Converge, Megawide, Citicore REIT, Petron, Shell Pilipinas, Topline, Jollibee Foods, Ginebra San Miguel, San Miguel Corp., and MacroAsia.

Among the losers were Century Pacific Food, OceanaGold, National Reinsurance, Aboitiz Power, First Gen, SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC), Monde Nissin, RFM, Vitarich, Abacore, and DMCI Holdings.