The Philippine Stock Exchange index or PSEi remained stalled below 6,500 points in January, as there is no signal of economic recovery in the horizon.
The 4.4% gross domestic product or GDP growth for 2025 confirms the fact that the Philippine economy is in bad shape. In contrast, the full-year 2024 was at 5.7%.
Among the factors for the low GDP growth in 2025 are governance issues, particularly the flood control scandal, and slowdown in domestic consumption. The peso also struggled against the US dollar.
“Admittedly, the flood corruption probe scandal weighed on business and consumer confidence,” Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
And while inflation remains under control and initially boosted investor sentiment in the first 10 trading days of January, stock market investors were seeking for other good news to take more bold positions in acquiring publicly-listed equities.
In summary, the PSEi opened at 6,135.06 points on January 1, and closed at 6,328.97 on January 30, for a 3.16 percent increase over the month.
The highest close of the PSEi was at 6,487.53 points on January 15 and the lowest was at 6,135.06 on January 1.