Services Sector Saves the Day for the PSE Index

Bannered by ICTSI, with telco and gaming stocks adding fuel, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index managed to scrape through with a small gain of 18.55 points, or 0.29 percent, to 6,445.38.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index, March 3, 2026

The top-traded port operator, with P1.72 billion in turnover, advanced 4.26 percent to P709 at the close after a block sale crossed at P646 valued at P1.45 billion.

Investors were particularly selective as sell-offs hit all sectors. Only the services sub-index rose, up 3.03 percent, but it overwhelmed losses in the other five sectors, with mining and oil tumbling on profit-taking.

Apex Mining shed 4.04 percent to P17.08, while Cebu Air declined 1.41 percent to P34.85 as travel is seen to be hit by the Iran crisis.

Volatility was the order of the day, with investors zipping in and out, mirrored in the index hitting an intraday high of 6,496.30 and a low of 6,421.44.

Foreign investors were net buyers of P1.57 billion on foreign trades of P8.03 billion, while locals joined the game on value turnover of P8.91 billion.

Foreign money was selective, selling P239 million out of P439 million in trades for BDO Unibank, down 1.57 percent to P132, and buying P103 million out of P333 million in Bank of the Philippine Islands, up 0.17 percent to P115.20.

DigiPlus rose 10.66 percent to P18.48, while Globe gained 0.12 percent to P1,680.

Money-favored sectors are seen to benefit from the current geopolitical crisis.