THE peso closed marginally higher on Wednesday while the stock exchange broke past 6,700 ahead of today’s Monetary Board rate-setting meeting.
The currency strengthened by half a centavo to P56.955 against the dollar, still its strongest showing since April 15’s P56.808:$1.
It opened at P56.9 to the greenback and ranged from P56.835 to P57.12. Volume reached P1.339 billion, lower than Tuesday’s P1.797 billion.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the dollar had weakened against major global currencies.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi), meanwhile, added 54.52 points, or 0.82 percent, to end the day at 6,705.96.
The broader All Shares index also rose, by 19.30 points or 0.53 percent, to 3,629.30.
Philstocks Financial Inc. senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco said there was a “positive spillover from Wall Street’s overnight rally,” which was driven by news that wholesale prices in the US had slowed more than expected.
Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan, meanwhile, said that “investors continued to bargain hunt ahead of the BSP meeting … while more economic data and corporate earnings continue to underscore that the economy continues to perform remarkably well.”
All sector indices closed in the green, with property up the most by 1.69 percent.
Decliners continued to outnumber advancers, 105 to 98, while 54 were unchanged.
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