The currency strengthened by 5 centavos to P58.53 against the dollar, its best close in nearly a month, while the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 14.74 points, or 0.23 percent, to end the trading week at 6,492.75.The broader All Shares index also fell, by 0.20 percent or 6.88 points, to 3,508.99.Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said that better-than-expected inflation of 3.7 percent — the consensus in a Manila Times poll of economists was 3.
'The market mostly traded in the green as investors reacted positively to the June inflation rate, which slowed to 3.7 percent from the previous month and was near the lower end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecast,' she added, noting that this had raised the likelihood of the central bank cutting rates in August.'However, sentiment was dampened by the national government's outstanding debt reaching a record high,' Alviar continued.Regina Capital Development Corp.