Stock market retreats; BDO, JG Summit buck downtrend

STOCKS fell Wednesday on growing fears of global economic slowdown and as investors kept tabs on China with speculation swirling that leaders will unveil a batch of measures to support the world’s number two economy.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 73 points, or 1.12 percent, to close at 6,434.06, as five of the six subsectors retreated.

The broader all-shares index went down by 30 points, or 0.87 percent, to settle at 3,437.04 on a value turnover of P11.45 billion. Losers outmatched gainers, 118 to 72, while 41 shares were unchanged.

Only two of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green. JG Summit Holdings Inc. rose 1.06 percent to P47.50, while BDO Unibank Inc. gained 0.64 percent to P140.50.

Meanwhile, Asian markets were mixed Wednesday after data showed US inflation fell further last month, ramping up expectations the Federal Reserve will finally pause its interest rate hike campaign.

The sharp drop in the US consumer price index was slightly more than forecast and followed a string of recent readings that suggested 15 months of central bank tightening were beginning to kick in.

It also came after a mixed jobs report earlier this month that showed the labor market remained resilient but gave the Fed room to skip a hike in June.

The 4.0 percent CPI reading marks the lowest since March 2021, though it is still double the Fed’s target.

Traders are now pricing the chances of a rate hike on Wednesday at about 10 percent, with analysts saying bank boss Jerome Powell will try to drive home that the pause would not signal the end of tightening.

“Decelerating inflation... coupled with full employment may suggest to some that the US is on a path to a soft landing of its economy and avoiding the recession that so many have been concerned about is looming for over a year now,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

“We expect the Fed will pause its rate hiking cycle at this week’s meeting to give more time to gauge lagged policy effects and to assess how restrictive March’s regional banks turmoil has been on lending markets. So, let the July debate begin,” he said.

Lindsey Piegza, of Stifel Nicolaus & Co, said the Fed was now bound to stand pat, warning it “opened the door for a pause and to not walk through that door now would cause unnecessary concern. But they are going to have to communicate their work is not done”.

Wall Street welcomed Tuesday’s reading, with the S&P 500 clocking up a fourth straight gain and putting it within touch of the 4,400-point mark it has not hit since April 2021. With AFP