MANILA – The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) started the week strong, climbing by 1.16% to 7,554.68, while the All Shares index gained 1.02% to close at 4,082.97. Leading sectors included Property, up by 2.05%, and Services, rising 1.9%.

Four out of six indices ended in positive territory, with Financials and Mining and Oil falling slightly by 0.46% and 0.39%, respectively. Advancers outpaced decliners, 129 to 79, with 49 issues unchanged.

Investors were buoyed by the significant slowdown in inflation for September, raising hopes for further monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Optimism was also fueled by expectations of potential rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve, according to Philstocks Financials’ research manager, Japhet Tantiangco.

Despite the positive stock market performance, the peso depreciated, closing at 56.83 to the US dollar, down from last week’s 56.38. The local currency traded between 56.58 and 56.84 throughout the day, with an average of 56.71. Trade volume dipped to USD1.3 billion from Friday’s USD1.51 billion.

ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Inflation and maintaining good health are top concerns for most adult Filipinos, according to the latest OCTA Research survey.

The “Tugon ng Masa” survey, which included 1,200 adult Filipino respondents, revealed that 65% viewed controlling the increase in basic commodity prices as an urgent concern. This was followed by concerns over affordable food (40%), wage increases (33%), reducing poverty (33%), and free quality education (28%).

“A higher percentage of adults in Mindanao (71%) consider controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services as an urgent national concern,” OCTA Research disclosed. “In comparison, 51% of adult Filipinos in Visayas expressed more significant concern about access to affordable food than in other major areas,” it added.

The survey also identified the respondents’ top three urgent personal concerns. Topping the list was staying healthy at 71%, followed by having enough to eat every day at 57%, and finishing school or providing education to their children at 44%.

The non-commissioned survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from June 26 to July 1, 2024.

(el Amigo/mnm)

National Statistician Dennis Mapa disclosed that in September, headline inflation, denoting the pace of increase in the average costs of items and services frequently purchased by consumers, climbed to 6.1 percent. This percentage reflects a significant rise in contrast to the 5.3 percent documented in August.

Enhanced with captivating photographs, the pictures illustrate vendors conscientiously tending to their clientele as they vend vegetables at the Paco Public Market on Saturday, October 7, 2023.

(Report & photography by Benjie Cuaresma/ai/mnm)