Philippine shares edged higher on Thursday, ending a two‑day decline as investors seized lower‑priced issues despite lingering geopolitical concerns.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index rose 0.24%, adding 15.27 points to close at 6,283.12, while the broader all‑shares index gained 0.16%, finishing at 3,427.07.
Market participants pursued bargain hunting after consecutive sessions of losses, targeting stocks with more attractive valuations and driving renewed buying interest across selected sectors.
Investors remained cautious amid downside risks linked to heightened U.S.–Iran tensions, rising global commodity prices, and a weakening peso against the dollar.
The peso closed flat at a record low of 61.75 per U.S. dollar, according to data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.
The United States completed its latest round of strikes on Iran, targeting maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air‑defense assets in a five‑hour operation.
Four of the six sectoral indices posted gains: financials rose 1.19% to 1,934.26, holding firms climbed 0.42% to 4,421.81, industrials increased 0.08% to 8,478.75, and property edged up 0.08% to 1,924.06.
Conversely, the mining and oil sector slipped 1.1% to 15,737.08, while the services index fell 0.43% to 3,361.63.
Market breadth showed 93 advancers against 85 decliners, with 59 stocks unchanged.
Semirara Mining and Power led gains, jumping 5.1% to 22.65 pesos, while DigiPlus Interactive recorded the biggest decline, dropping 3.04% to 9.89 pesos.
Value turnover decreased to 5.23 billion pesos, with 586.89 million shares changing hands, down from 6.49 billion pesos and 711.22 million shares the previous day.
Net foreign selling narrowed to 76.61 million pesos, a significant reduction from the prior day's 655 million‑peso outflow.
