Philippines share prices closed 0.3 percent lower Monday as bargain hunters partially counteracted more risk-averse investors spooked by high oil prices and Wall Street weakness, dealers said. The composite index gave up 6.30 points to 2,459.98, off a low of 2,459.75 and a high of 2,487.14. The all share index lost 1.48 points to 1,571.68.
Forty-three issues advanced, 46 retreated and another 46 were unchanged. Turnover fell to 3.056 billion pesos (68.06 million dollars) from 7.24 billion pesos on Friday. The peso traded at 44.899 to the dollar in the morning.
Gomer Tan of Regina Capital Development put the support level at 2,380 points and resistance at 2,500 points. "We are entering a bear market, and we will probably see more of the same cautious trading until we see a substantial decline in oil prices," Tan told Dow Jones Newswires.
World oil prices closed in on 142 dollars in Asian trades Monday, pushed up by continued worries over supply and the weak US currency. San Miguel A added 1.50 pesos to 40 pesos while its B shares rose two pesos to 41 pesos. Petron added 10 centavos to 6.50 pesos. Philippine Long Distance Telephone was unchanged at 2,395 pesos. Bank of the Philippine Islands lost a peso to 43 pesos, while Banco de Oro dropped 50 centavos to 43 pesos.