Stock market up for 3rd straight day

Share prices rose for a third straight day on Tuesday with investors said to have been heartened by expectations that inflation would start easing following a first-semester acceleration.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) closed 0.55 percent or 39.38 points higher at 7,267.34 while the broader All Shares eked out a 0.27-percent gain or 11.68 points to finish at 4,409.83.

Timson Securities, Inc. trader Jervin de Celis said investors reacted positively to economic managers’ claims that consumer price growth — currently above the 2.0-4.0 target — would start tapering off as both crude and rice prices drop.

De Celis, however, noted that Tuesday’s thin trading volumes also indicated continued wariness over global trade tensions.

Papa Securities Corp. trader Gabriel Perez, meanwhile, said investors remained hesitant to load up ahead of Thursday’s release of June inflation data.

Inflation hit a five-year high of 4.6 percent in May and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has said it could have gone either way in June, offering a 4.3-5.1 percent forecast. The Finance department on Tuesday said it could have risen to 4.9 percent.

Most sectoral indices were in the green except for services and mining and oil, which fell by 0.54 percent and 0.38 percent, respectively.

Volume turnover reached 539 million, valued at P4.78 billion.

Losers led winners, 97 to 88, while 55 issues remained unchanged.

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