Philippine stocks eye 7,000-8,000 range in 2025 amid Trump second term

Philippine stocks are expected to trade between 7,000 and 8,000 this year as US President-elect Donald J. Trump begins his second term, with market experts noting both positive growth prospects and significant uncertainties.

Ramon S. Monzon, president of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), anticipates companies could raise PHP120 billion through six planned IPOs in 2025, including listings by Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc., Maynilad Water Services Inc., and GCash.

The PSE aims to improve market liquidity with plans to launch global Philippine depositary receipts and has acquired a majority stake in the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS) for PHP2.32 billion.

Market analysts caution that potential natural disasters, geopolitical stress, and the upcoming midterm elections could bring additional uncertainties to the stock market's performance.

Despite these challenges, experts remain cautiously optimistic about the PSEi's potential to reach up to 8,080 this year, citing attractive valuations and recent tax incentives as positive factors.