Stock index ends above 7,500 points

January 3, 2019

Stocks surged to its biggest one-day gain since November 2018 as the main index closed 2.5 percent higher on Thursday.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index settled at 7,680.60, up 191.40 points. In the broader market, there were 135 gainers, 61 losers and 44 shares unchanged.

Volume reached 985.18 million shares worth P7.16 billion from Wednesday's 717.6 million shares valued at P3.36 billion.

Most active shares were led by SM Investment Corp., up 4.64 percent to P958; Ayala Corp., up 2.16 percent to P925, Ayala Land, up 2.78 percent to P42.45 and Jollibee, down 0.34 percent to P292.

The peso settled at P52.65 against the US dollar from P52.515 on Wednesday. Volume at the foreign exchange portal of the Bankers Association of the Philippines reached $797.5 million from $580.05 million on the previous day. DMS