Stocks Slump, PSE Index Breaks Below 6,000

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index slipped below the 6,000-point support level on Monday, as banks and gaming shares led a broad sell-off that deepened market pessimism.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index, September 29, 2025

The benchmark closed at 5,997.60, down 29.52 points or 0.49 percent, marking a fresh low.

Gaming stock DigiPlus fell 2.56 percent to ₱24.70, while banking shares bore the brunt of selling. BDO Unibank, the day’s most active with ₱623 million in trades, dropped 2.60 percent to ₱135.

Security Bank eased 0.14 percent to ₱70.10, and Metrobank slipped 0.43 percent to ₱69.10. This dragged the financial index down 1.23 percent, with the services sector also retreating 1.58 percent.

Holding firms bucked the decline as market bellwether SM Investments gained 1.09 percent to ₱740, nudging the sector up 0.31 percent.

Industrials also stayed positive, rising 0.90 percent, powered by ACEN Corp. (+0.41% to ₱2.44), Meralco (+2.12% to ₱531), and Manila Water (+6.12% to ₱39).

Mining and oil were the day’s standout, surging 5.32 percent after gold prices hit a record $3,800 per ounce.

Apex Mining soared 9.70 percent to ₱10.52, Philex Mining rose 5.64 percent to ₱8.24, and Oriental Petroleum A and B climbed 9.09 percent each to ₱0.12 on buyback news.

Property eked out a slim 0.01 percent gain.

Market turnover dropped 21 percent to ₱4.7 billion as sentiment soured, weighed down by revelations of ghost flood-control projects and alleged fund misuse implicating lawmakers.

Net foreign selling reached ₱405 million, with foreign buying at ₱2.39 billion against ₱2.80 billion in sales.

Analysts warned the index could test deeper lows after breaching the 6,000-point support before any recovery sets in. Market breadth was negative, with 100 gainers, 106 losers, and 58 unchanged, including China Bank, UnionBank, First Gen, Top Frontier, SPNEC, and Globe Telecom.

Among gainers were Bloomberry, PNB, PSE, Vantage Equities, Axelum, Megaworld, SM Prime, Vista Land, PLDT, DMCI Holdings, Cebu Air, Puregold, OceanaGold, Semirara Mining, Jollibee Foods, and Citicore REIT.

Losers included ICTSI, Robinsons Retail, DoubleDragon, Ayala Corp., Ayala Land, Aboitiz Power, Synergy Grid, Shell Pilipinas, Monde Nissin, Megawide, URC, GT Capital, JG Summit, and Wilcon Depot.