PH SHARES UP, MOVE IN STEP WITH MOST ASIAN BOURSES

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEI) rose on Thursday as it moved in lockstep with most bourses in Asia-pacific.

By the closing bell, the PSEI rose 0.22 percent, or 17.22 points, to 7,950.98.

The broader all-shares index was also up 0.04 percent, or 1.96 points, to 4,780.16.

Subsectors were mixed on Thursday with industrial and services ending in negative territory while the rest closed higher.

Mining and oil was the top gainer with a 0.59-percent increase on the back of a 3.58-percent rally by PXP Energy Corp.

Volume, meanwhile, was relatively thin with 660.1 million shares valued at P5.19 billion changing hands.

There were 104 losers versus 80 gainers while 51 companies closed unchanged.

SM Investments Corp. was the most actively traded on Thursday as it gained 1.58 percent to P1,030 a share.

It was followed by Universal Robina Corp., down 3.94 percent to P151; Ayala Land Inc., down 0.1 percent to P48.95; SM Prime Holdings, up 0.65 percent to P39; and Suntrust Home Developers, up 30.77 percent to P1.19 per share.

Other actively traded stocks were Allhome Corp., down 0.52 percent to P11.50; JG Summit Holdings, down 1.28 percent to P73; BDO Unibank Inc., up 1.7 percent to P149.30; and Jollibee Foods Corp., up 1.07 percent to P227.60 per share.