Philippines Market Update – December 19, 2025
The Philippine peso ended the week trading sideways against the US dollar, while the local stock market closed lower on Friday as investors engaged in profit-taking amid lingering concerns over the domestic economic outlook.
Peso Remains Range-Bound
The peso closed at PHP 58.70 per US dollar, slightly weaker than the previous session’s 58.55 finish.
The currency opened stronger at 58.60 but moved within a narrow range of 58.53 to 58.77, with an average trading level of 58.65.
Foreign exchange turnover declined to USD 1.38 billion, compared with USD 1.65 billion the previous day, indicating reduced trading activity and cautious positioning by market participants.
Overall, the peso’s performance reflected a lack of strong catalysts, with traders largely adopting a wait-and-see approach.
PSEi Slides on Broad-Based Selling
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) fell 1.83% to 5,920.87 points, while the broader All Shares Index declined 1.43% to 3,397.72 points.
All sectoral indices ended in negative territory, led by the Services sector, which dropped 3.25%. Losses were also recorded in:
- Financials: -1.76%
- Mining and Oil: -1.63%
- Industrial: -1.35%
- Property: -1.06%
- Holding Firms: -0.44%
Market breadth was negative, with 110 decliners outpacing 65 advancers, while 75 stocks closed unchanged.
Trading Highlights
Total market volume reached 26.2 billion shares, with a total value turnover of PHP 18.7 billion.
Among the most actively traded stocks:
- International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICT) declined 4.60%
- Manila Electric Company (MER) fell 2.87%
- Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) dropped 3.18%
- BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) slid 1.99%
- AREIT, Inc. gained 2.09%, outperforming the broader market
Market Sentiment
According to Philstocks Financial Inc., investors took profits amid weakening confidence in the local economy’s growth prospects.
Persistent governance issues and continued offshore headwinds were cited as key factors weighing on investor sentiment.
Outlook
While the peso remained relatively stable, equity markets showed renewed vulnerability to negative sentiment.
As the year draws to a close, Philippine financial markets are expected to remain sensitive to both global macroeconomic developments and domestic structural challenges.