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Toyota PHL parent does not expect Thai auto imports to fall

THE parent company of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) does not expect automotive imports from Thailand to decline, amid the trade department’s move to consider retaliatory measures on these as an offshoot of the two countries’ long-standing dispute over cigarette imports.

GT Capital Holdings, Inc. President Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista told reporters last week that it seems unlikely that Thailand will limit auto exports to the Philippines, despite the imposition of tariffs or quantitative restrictions (QR).

“I don’t think so. They need us. Their markets are soft. Ours is the strongest market in the region tapos ililimit mo [then you will limit it]? Of course not. It doesn’t make sense. So yes, tuloy ’yan [the Thai auto exports will continue],” he said when asked if he expects Thailand to reduce auto exports to the country.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said last week it was looking at imposing tariffs or QR measures on vehicles imported from Thailand.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo said this “retaliation” for Thailand’s noncompliance with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on the valuation of Philippine cigarettes exported to Thailand. The trade department specifically chose the automotive sector which was Thailand’s biggest export volume to the Philippines.

GT Capital said 15% of its auto imports come from Toyota’s operations in Thailand.

However, GT Capital Auto Dealership Holdings, Inc. (GTCAD) Chairman Vicente Jose S. Socco said tariffs or QR measures on Thai auto imports may affect its business strategy next year.

“Of course, it will have an impact not only on us, but on Mitsubishi and other manufacturers importing from Thailand, being that Thailand is the biggest production base in ASEAN,” he told reporters.

He noted Toyota’s advantage is it also has production bases in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

“If the government believes there’s some need to impose safeguard duties or use this as a retaliatory measure with Thailand, the government of course has that prerogative and we will comply as the government decides,” Mr. Socco said.

“But at the end of the day, what’s paramount is that we also understand that we’re trying to bring in the most competitively priced vehicles to the market and I think the government is also very much cognizant of that… The safeguard is very much contrary to the spirit of the ASEAN economic zone which promotes the free movement of goods,” he added.

The Philippines saw its highest monthly sales of motor vehicles for the year last month, selling 34,397 units to rise 3.8% from October 2018, data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) showed. Toyota had the biggest market share at 47.69%, equivalent to 16,403 vehicles sold in October.

Toyota also reported last week its net income in the first nine months of the year was up 13% to P7.3 billion. Parent GT Capital’s attributable net income stood at P15.33 billion for the nine months to grow 40% year on year. — Denise A. Valdez

DBP to open solar irrigation loan window for Mindanao LGUs

DAVAO CITY — The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) will channel loans to local governments units (LGUs) for water supply and irrigation systems under a program set up by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), to be launched Dec. 6.

MinDA, in a statement over the weekend, said its chair, Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol recently met DBP President Emmanuel G. Herbosa to discuss the loan details, including interest rate and payment scheme.

LGU internal revenue allotments, or their share from the national budget, will serve as security for the loans.

The program, which is also supported by the Department of Interior and Local Government, is meant for off-grid areas that have no water supply and irrigation systems.

“We want our LGUs to access funding for the establishment of solar water supply and irrigation systems not only to provide potable water for their remote villages, but also to prepare them for the expected El Niño next year,” Mr. Piñol said.

In a social media post last week, Mr. Piñol said “at least 2,000 barangays in Mindanao are still without safe sources of drinking water.”

Last week, MinDA conducted a consultation, validation, and capacity-building workshop for officials of LGUs that are potential beneficiaries of the water supply program.

For the solar-powered irrigation projects, which Mr. Piñol initiated during his previous posting as Agriculture Secretary, the MinDA program aims to cover 100,000 hectares of rice farms. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Gov’t debt yields flat without leads

YIELDS on government securities (GS) once again ended flat last week from week-ago levels as investors wait for fresh leads that would spur demand for the debt papers.

Debt yields, which move opposite to prices, went up by 2.3 basis points (bps) on average week-on-week, based on the PHP Bloomberg Valuation (BVAL) Service Reference Rates of Nov. 15 published on the Philippine Dealing System’s website.

With the exception of the one-year and two-year debt papers, all tenors saw their yields go up at the secondary market last Friday.

At the short end, the 91- and 182-day Treasury bills (T-bills) went up by 1.7 bps and 0.3 basis point to yield 3.179% and 3.303%, respectively.

At the belly of the curve, the rates on the three-, four-, five-, and seven-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) increased by 0.6 basis point (4.003%), 1.6 bps (4.141%), 2.3 bps (4.276%), and 3.7 bps (4.503%), respectively.

Meanwhile, at the long end, the 10-, 20-, and 25-year T-bonds saw their yields go up by 3.2 bps (4.706%), 7.1 bps (5.165%), and 7.8 bps (5.186%).

On the other hand, the rate of the one- and two-year debt papers went down by 2.2 bps (3.556%) and 0.7 basis point (3.870%), respectively.

“Yield movements were driven by [last] week’s auction and the anticipated ‘prudent’ or ‘appropriate’ pause by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) of its monetary policy tweaking,” said Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion in an e-mail.

For Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces, bond movements last week “mostly came from mixed catalysts.”

“For context, yields dropped away from lows following a series of pre-announced RRR (reserve requirement ratio) cuts before reversing gains,” he said in a separate e-mail.

The Bureau of the Treasury raised P20 billion as planned from its T-bond offer last Tuesday as the 10-year securities attracted total bids of P29.3 billion. The 10-year debt papers fetched an average of 4.617%, higher by 42.1 bps versus the 4.196% fetched during the auction last Aug. 13.

Meanwhile, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in separate television interviews this month that the central bank is “likely done” cutting rates for the year. This was affirmed in its monetary policy meeting last Thursday where benchmark rates for overnight reverse repurchase, overnight deposit, and lending were maintained at four percent, 3.5% and 4.5%, respectively, describing current settings as “appropriate” amid weak global economic prospects on the one hand, as well as the “firm private domestic spending and sustained progress in policy reforms” that would serve as buffer against “external headwinds.”

After raising benchmark rates by a total of 175 bps last year in the face of successive multi-year-high inflation rates, the BSP has cut these rates by a cumulative 75 bps so far this year. Moreover, the BSP has also cut the RRR by a total of 400 bps in 2019, bringing the reserve requirements for big banks and thrift banks to 14% and four percent by December, respectively, while rural banks’ RRR went down to three percent earlier this month.

“Until the end of the year…, we think further downside to yields will remain subdued as it looks like the BSP has already carried out all planned easing measures, while US yields continue to rise following risk-on sentiment,” Security Bank’s Mr. Roces said when asked for his outlook.

For UnionBank’s Mr. Asuncion: “The market will be expecting a lot from the global front as negotiations between the US and China toward the ‘Phase 1’ part of their potential trade deal continue.”

He added that there would be “no significant drivers from the domestic events” for this week. — Jobo E. Hernandez

Subaru announces sporty, new Forester GT Edition

Text and photos by Ulysses Ang

MOTOR IMAGE, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles across eight countries including the Philippines, unveiled the newest addition to its sporty GT Edition models: the Forester GT Edition. Set for a formal market introduction in Taiwan next month, the Forester GT Edition will arrive in the Philippines by the first quarter of 2020.

Designed by former Subaru Chief Designer (Head of Global Advanced Design Studio), Masahiko “Jack” Kobayashi — the same man responsible for the current WRX STI, the Forester GT Edition adds a much-needed dose of sportiness to the Forester compact SUV. Like the GT Edition kit on the Subaru XV, the Forester’s GT Edition kit is manufactured by Japanese engineering company Giken exclusively for Motor Image.

“I am happy to bring Giken and Kobayashi-san back for our second bespoke GT Edition project. Some people feel that the Forester over the years has become a little sedate and mainstream. Now, it no longer is. With its sharpened design all around, we are positive the sporty and stylish Forester GT Edition will stand out wherever it goes. I look forward to working on the next GT Edition with them,” says Glenn Tan, deputy chairman and managing director of Tan Chong International, the parent company of Motor Image.

Likening the transformation from a regular Mercedes-Benz to a Mercedes-Benz AMG, Kobayashi introduced new design elements to the Forester without compromising things like ground clearance. The special GT Edition has four integral elements: a front bumper extension, side skirts, roof spoiler, and rear bumper extension. These are then complemented by a set of five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the leather seats receive silver highlights — a nod to high-performance grand tourers from Europe. Completing the equipment package for the Forester GT Edition is a new 8-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a 360-degree camera.

Mr. Kobayashi says the design is tailored to match Motor Image’s in-depth understanding of its markets.

Motor Image also plans to extend its offering of GT Edition models to include the Levorg sports tourer and the Impreza compact sedan.

The Subaru Forester GT Edition will make its first public appearance at the Taipei International Auto Show in December 2019, followed by the Singapore Motorshow in January 2020, the Bangkok International Motor Show in March 2020, and the Manila International Auto Show in April 2020. Pricing will be announced closer to its Manila launch.

Essential oil company enters the Philippines

THE multi-level marketing platform dōTERRA, built on a bank of essential oils, has arrived in the Philippines. The company, based in Utah and present in several dozen countries, was officially launched in the country at Okada earlier this month as a locally registered product in the Philippines, as were its Makati corporate offices.

The company was founded in 2008 by a group led by David Stirling, who was once an executive at Young Living, another company trading in essential oils (this led to a lawsuit which has since been resolved).

The oils, which come in a number of scents including classic lavender, peppermint, and lemon, can sell between $10 to $50, with some like rose shooting up to $250.

Speaking about the multi-level marketing model, Nicole Stevens, Director, Executive Officer for Research and Development said, “This is done on purpose because the (uses for) essential oils sometimes require some education, for people to understand how they work.” Aside from selling the oils a Wellness Advocate (the multi-level marketer) also enrolls a certain number of people to also serve as dōTERRA Wellness Advocates.

Speaking about their new operations in the Philippines, Ms. Stevens said, “There are a lot of people here who are interested in wellness. They really want to have ways to benefit their families.” With regards to Philippine flora, meanwhile, as a source for essential oils, she said, “It’s possible. We already do source from a number of countries, and we’re always looking at new plant sources and ways to grow them, and places that can supply that essential oil.”

The products are also ethically sourced, with Ms. Stevens saying, “We make sure not only that we are sourcing the very best quality oils, but that we’re not destroying the land to do that.”

Essential oils, extracted and containing chemical compounds from plants, have gained traction in recent years due to their use in alternative medicine, particularly in aromatherapy. In history, they’ve been used for therapeutic purposes, but are better known for their cosmetic use. One can argue that their therapeutic effects can be attributed to the placebo effect (where the mind can be “tricked” into healing the body), but Ms. Stevens said, “No, it’s definitely not. They’ve done some studies on that, to actually show how the brain lights up and how it’s affected when you smell the essential oils. The really neat thing is, there are tiny molecules that are able to go in, and as they interact with your olfactory receptors, they will send messages to your brain. It is absolutely an effect that is real. It’s physiological. We can tell that it’s doing things inside of your body.”

In 2014, however, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to the company. In an article by the Washington Post, which reprinted parts of the letter, the FDA said: “Your consultants promote your above mentioned dōTERRA Essential Oil products for conditions including, but not limited to, viral infections (including ebola), bacterial infections, cancer, brain injury, autism, endometriosis, Grave’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, tumor reduction, ADD/ADHD, and other conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners. Moreover, your consultants redirect consumers to your website, www.doterra.com, to register as a customer or member (i.e., consultant), and to purchase your dōTERRA Essential Oil products.”

Ms. Stevens acknowledged that controversy, saying, “That was kind of a turning point for us.”

“We wanted to make sure that our Wellness Advocates understand that we can’t make claims like that. These are not intended as cures. We had to talk about them (the oils) in ways that are very supportive of health, as opposed to curing disease.”

Ms. Stevens talked about the benefits of essential oils, and in a way, touching on the curative properties of nature. “The interesting thing about essential oils is that for a lot of plants, that’s their medicine for themselves… it’s their way of protecting themselves. It makes sense because humans and plants have evolved and grown together; that that medicine will also benefit humans when they’re under attack.

“These are not foreign substances to us. Our bodies know how to use them.” — Joseph L. Garcia

Duty Free Philippines opens high-end store

DUTY FREE Philippines Corp. (DFPC) on Friday opened its high-end, off-airport outlet Duty Free Luxe at Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

“Today marks the culmination of an idea that began years ago. An idea of a world-class duty free store that will put the Philippines as a top-of-mind shopping destination to boost the country’s shopping tourism,” DFPC Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio A. Angala said in a statement on Sunday.

Tha launch included a Christmas tree lighting ceremony to signal the start of the holiday season.

The store houses international brands, including make-up brands Gucci Beauty and Giorgio Armani Beauty, shoe brand Hogan, and leather luxury goods brand MCM Worldwide.

It also houses high-end fashion, cosmetics, fragrance, confectionary, and wine and spirits brands catering to overseas Filipino workers, frequent travelers, and tourists.

“We acknowledged our vital role and to stay ahead of our competitors and to strengthen the Philippines as a great destination for travelers, we continue to explore ways to offer unique and extraordinary experiences that cannot be replicated easily,” Mr. Angala said.

Tourists will also be able to shop for local products, with the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Go Lokal! Marahuyo store.

Marahuyo features Philippine brands and artisans Aranaz (handbags), Earl Carlo Gariando Enterprises (clutch bags made of bass), Quiddity (handcrafted leather bags), Helena Alegre Jewelry (scriptural and fabricated jewelry), and Joanique (fashion accessories), Maria Angelica Rare Finds (antique accessories), Arnel Papa (fashion jewelry), Mele + Marie (handbags), Adante Leyesa (fashion accessories), and Ann Ong (fashion jewelry).

“With great success and opportunities, we partnered with DFPC to bring micro and small entrepreneurs’ (MSME) products to the travel retails market, a highly competitive market that requires a high degree of craftmanship and design,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

DFPC is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism. Duty Free Philippines had recently partnered with 50 travel agencies to offer discounts to outbound Filipino tour groups.

Senate Committee on Tourism Chair Senator Nancy Binay, DFPC COO Vicente Pelagio A. Angala, and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, graced the ribbon cutting, and Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Friday. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Palay farmgate price falls 0.4% in late Oct.

THE AVERAGE farmgate price of palay, or unmilled rice, declined 0.4% week-on-week in the fourth week of October to P15.43 per kilogram (kg), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

According to the PSA’s weekly palay and corn price update, the average wholesale price of well-milled rice fell 0.4% week-on-week to P37.60 per kg. Retail prices also fell 0.3% to P41.75.

The average wholesale price of regular-milled rice fell 0.03% to P33.69 per kg, while retail prices decreased 0.2% to P37.02.

The declining price of the staple grain has been associated with the surge of cheap imported rice due to the implementation of Rice Tariffication Law in March.

The farmgate price of yellow corn grain averaged P12.19 per kg, up 0.3% week-on-week. The average wholesale price fell 0.2% to P21.15. The retail price declined 1% to P25.77.

The average farmgate price of white corn grain rose 0.8%, week-on-week to P13.49 per kg. The average wholesale price was stable at P17.13, as was the average retail price at P26.78. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Peso to rally on revived US-China trade hopes

THE PESO is poised to appreciate this week on renewed hopes that US and China will be able to hammer out a “phase one” trade deal.

The local unit closed at P50.65 versus the greenback on Friday, stronger by three centavos from its P50.68 per dollar close on Thursday, according to data from the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (BAP).

However, the peso ended weaker by 16 centavos from its trading close of P50.49 on Nov. 11.

Dollars traded on Friday slipped to $1.116 billion from $1.170 billion recorded on Thursday.

One trader attributed Friday’s sideways trading to the lack of a “big moving headline”.

“Trading was sideways manner today as not much happened. It remains to be headline tone and we still see uncertainty on the US-China,” he said in a phone call.

Meanwhile, another trader said markets followed the speech of key officials from the US Federal Reserve on Thursday night.

“The trading was guided by last night’s development when three Fed members spoke, and with [US] Fed[eral Reserve] Chair[man] [Jerome C.] Powell] reiterating the US economy is still relatively healthy implying they won’t cut rates anymore for the rest of 2019,” he said in a phone call.

China and the United States are now working on the first phase of the trade agreement. Reuters quoted Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson Gao Feng as saying that cancelling tariffs is a key condition before any agreement.

Meanwhile, Mr. Powell said there is a remote risk of the US economy facing a dramatic bust, saying remains a “star economy.”

The Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to hold its last policy setting meeting on Dec. 18-19.

This week’s trading will continue to follow major headlines such as the US-China trade talk developments as well as fresh news from the Eurozone, according to the traders.

“Any positive development on the US-China trade talks means positive for the peso and any negative is vice versa. Market players are just waiting for any developments regarding the two parties,” the first trader said.

“There is the ECB (European Central Bank) monetary policy minutes to be published…and PMIs from Eurozone,” the second trader said.

For this week, the first trader sees the peso trading at a range of P50.50-50.80, while the second trader believes it will play around a bigger margin of P50.25 to 50.85. — LWTN

Drive home your new car with Toyota’s November Price Knockdown promo

THIS WHOLE MONTH, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) brings back its inventory clear-out sale with the November Price Knockdown promo! Avail the biggest discounts and get exclusive packages on 11 of Toyota’s best-selling models: Vios, Innova, Fortuner, Avanza, Corolla Altis, Hiace, Wigo, RAV4, Yaris, Hilux, and Rush.

Aspiring car buyers can now own and drive their favorite models with savings as much as P110,000 on the Vios G Prime CVT and P90,000 on the Fortuner G Diesel AT. Pay Low and Pay Light options are also available for the other participating models.

Customers are also entitled to Free Periodic Maintenance Service (PMS) of up to 20k kilometers and a 5-Year Extended Warranty when they purchase any of the Vios G or E variants within the promo duration. The Fortuner 4×2 variants also come with Free PMS.

“As the year closes, we encourage everyone to visit our dealerships and check out Toyota’s exciting offers,” said TMP Vice-President Elijah Marcial. “If you’ve been eyeing for a vehicle for the longest time, this is a great opportunity to finally get one and enjoy the perks of owning a Toyota in time for the coming holidays.”

Interested customers may access the full details and reserve through the official website link below:

http://toyota.com.ph/NovPriceKnockdown

Head to any of Toyota’s 70 dealerships nationwide to know more about the November Price Knockdown promo. For the latest Toyota news and information, visit TMP’s official website at www.toyota.com.ph and follow the official Facebook page at www.fb.com/ToyotaMotorPhilippines.

Victoria Beckham knew fashion industry would dismiss her as a wannabe

PARIS — Former pop-star Victoria Beckham knew she’d have to win over hard-to-impress fashion critics when she launched her first clothing line a decade ago, but the one-time Spice Girl said the industry was much harder to crack than she had ever imagined.

Speaking in Paris on Friday at a conference organized by Vogue magazine, Beckham, whose collections have since gained critical acclaim and won fashion awards for their fluid, sharp tailoring, said she was expanding her empire with make-up and skincare ranges.

“I was very aware of the preconceptions, being married to David Beckham, being a Spice Girl, all of a sudden here’s a collection, I knew that eyes would roll,” she said, adding she’d focused on “making it all about the clothes and not listening to any of that.”

Beckham cited late Chanel creative chief Karl Lagerfeld and Italy’s Valentino Garavani as two designers who had helped her, but said the notoriously cutthroat industry had surprised her.

“If I’d known then what I know now, I don’t know if I’d have the courage to do it,” she joked.

According to the latest British company filings, Beckham’s brand, which is privately owned by the designer, David Beckham and agent Simon Fuller, was still in the red in 2017. It raised £30 million ($38 million) two years ago from NEO Investment Partners to revive the brand.

Beckham said on Friday that as well as a recently launched make-up line, her brand would be turning out skincare products, as well as fragrances, possibly next year.

Cosmetics are an often highly profitable sideline for luxury labels, and large rivals, from Kering and Gucci to Hermes, have expanded their ranges, which are accessible to a wider range of shoppers. — Reuters

Style (11/18/19)

UNIQLO’s limited edition Marimekko collection

UNIQLO, the Japanese global apparel retailer, will launch its second limited edition collection with the Finnish design house Marimekko on Nov. 29. The first collection, designed jointly by the two companies, was a sensation when introduced in spring last year. The 2019 Fall/Winter collection celebrates Finnish winter traditions and augments women’s offerings for the first time with items for girls and babies. “We are very excited to introduce our second limited edition collection designed in collaboration with Marimekko, following the success of our 2018 Spring/Summer collection,” said Yuki Katsuta, Head of Research & Development of UNIQLO. “I am also pleased to see Marimekko prints and colors on such UNIQLO LifeWear as cashmere, Ultra Light Down and HEATTECH for the very first time. What a beautiful way to stay warm in the coming winter months, while celebrating a touch of Finnish tradition.” The latest collaboration collection includes several new women’s items designed specially to showcase some of Marimekko’s most recognizable prints such as Kivet (stones), designed by Maija Isola in 1956, Tasaraita (even stripe), designed by Annika Rimala in 1968, and Siirtolapuutarha (city garden), designed by Maija Louekari in 2009. The bold and colorful Marimekko prints will be featured on the first Ultra Light Down Cocoon Coat, Wool Cashmere Hoodie, shirt dresses, and jumpsuits. Also new are items for girls and babies for perfect pair coordination. The collection includes great accessories, among them leggings for babies, knitted accessories, and HEATTECH socks.

instax releases Mini 9 Craft Kit for holidays

FOR the creative types on one’s Christmas list, there is the new instax Mini 9 Craft Kit. For P4,499, the package includes a Mini 9 camera, a pack of film, plus craft items to decorate and to have fun with the final prints. Everything is contained inside a retro tin box that comes in five colors, each with a different design/message. With the instax Mini 9, the user can take selfies by checking the framing next to the lens. They can also photograph subjects up to 35 cm near with its close-up lens attachment. The has a brightness adjustment dial for easy calibration. It runs on two AA size alkaline batteries. The package includes wooden clips, two washi tapes, and a set of stickers created in partnership with Craft Easy, a local company that produces scrapbooking and art supplies. The camera is available in Flamingo Pink, Ice Blue, Lime Green, Cobalt Blue, Smoky White and limited edition colors, Clear Pink, Clear Yellow, and Clear Purple. The camera alone retails for P3,999 and is sold at Fujifilm authorized dealers nationwide and online at wonderphotoshop.ph.

MUJI comes out with Christmas gift bundles

MUJI Philippines has come out with this year’s selection of MUJI Christmas Gift Bundles with prices starting at P500. MUJI carefully selected each product and crafted a total of 23 Christmas Bundle sets. These include Stationery Gift Bundles, some of which include MUJI’s popular gel ink pens, as well as the new 2020 planners and calendars; Home Gift Bundles, some of which bundles include MUJI’s best-selling Aroma Diffuser; Travel Gift Bundles, one of which includes the Portable Aroma Diffuser, and another which consists of compact clear cases filled with PET Bottles that can be used to carry any travel essentials such as toiletries or skincare. The MUJI Christmas Bundles promo runs from Nov. 11 to Dec. 27. In the Philippines, MUJI has branches at Greenbelt 3, C1 Bonifacio High Street Central, Power Plant Mall at Rockwell, SM Mall of Asia, and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing.

Gains in Sino-US trade talks seen to provide lift

By Denise A. Valdez
Reporter

LOCAL SHARES may trade higher early this week as investors can be expected to cheer signs of progress in Sino-US trade talks last Friday.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended flat at 7,932.96 on Friday, a 0.75-point decline from a day earlier. The broader all-shares index gave up 5.92 points or 0.12% to 4,751.81.

On a weekly basis, the PSEi fell 1.65% from 8,065.76 on Nov. 8 due to thin trading volumes, putting an end to the five consecutive weekly increases. A slowdown in foreign inflows likewise dragged the market.

Value of trades stood at P25.77 billion last week, lower than the P33.96 billion recorded a week ago. Foreign investors recorded net selling of P2.43 billion for the week, against P722 million earlier.

In a market note, AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said the main index may bounce this week back to the 8,000 level. “With all the losses we saw last week, the PSEi was able to end slightly above the 7,920 support level which gives us some optimism… However, if we see a situation like last week, (where there were) low trading volumes and massive foreign outflows, the main index will continue lower and test the next support at 7,800,” he said.

Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said the PSEi may end within the 7,900-8,100 level this week. “Market may rebound this week with the positive development in the phase 1 US-China trade negotiation,” he said in a text message Sunday.

China state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday that top US and China negotiators had “constructive discussions” for the first phase of a trade deal. Citing Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He who took part in the talks, the report said representatives of the two countries threshed out “core concerns” by phone on Saturday morning and agreed to maintain constant communication.

For Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan, this week’s trading may also take cues from the October balance of payments data to be released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Nov. 19 and the minutes of the latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting. “In the Philippines, (overseas Filipino workers) remittances were encouraging to end the week, and we will watch out for the balance of payments. Most major earnings are out so funds may even start to position ahead of 2020 with around 6-7 weeks left,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.

Mr. Mangun of AAA Southeast Equities said the upgrade by Fitch Solutions of its Philippine economic growth forecast for 2019 to six percent from 5.8% may also inspire investor optimism. “2020 is going to be a big year for our market; we see a big move coming in the next few months… With consistent economic growth and supportive government policy, we see the market going higher,” he said.

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