Philippines - Market factors to watch - July 7 2007

MANILA, July 7 (Reuters) - Here are the news stories and press reports which may influence local financial markets on Thursday: 

WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IN THE PHILIPPINES, ALL TIMES LOCAL FOLLOWED BY GMT:        

·        Central bank to release foreign reserves data for June          

·        Cebu Air Inc holds annual stockholders' meeting, Ruby Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, ADB Avenue corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, 4:00 p.m. [0800 GMT]       

·        JG Summit Holdings Inc holds annual stockholders' meeting, Ruby Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, ADB Avenue corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, 5:00 p.m. [0900 GMT] 

·        Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation holds annual stockholders' meeting Ballroom B, 4th Floor, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Ortigas Avenue corner One ADB Avenue, Quezon City, 3:00 p.m. [0700 GMT]          

REUTERS NEWS - PHILIPPINES      

·        World Bank sees Philippines growing 5 pct in 2011         

·        Nickel Asia: H1 sales up 24 pct on China demand 

·        Manila studying foreign debt swap, global peso     

·        Philippine Central bank sees favorable growth prospects

PHILIPPINES' LOCAL PRESS REPORTS             

·        The Department of Energy warned anew of possible power supply shortages in Mindanao next year as the required reserve level on the island remained precariously low at only 100 megawatts during peak hours. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) 

·        Construction and engineering firm Megawide Construction is raising 3 billion pesos ($70 million) through the sale of debt paper to selected institutional investors.     

·        The value of goods traded within the country in the first quarter of 2011 increased 36.5 percent to 128 billion from a year earlier due to the modest growth of the local economy, the statistics office said. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) 

·        The Philippines will appeal a World Trade Organization ruling that declared as illegal taxes levied by the Philippines on alcoholic drinks from the European Union and United States, officials said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)   

·        The exposure of the local banking industry to the real estate sector expanded 11 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier as banks offered competitive interest rates for real estate loans, the central bank said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

·        Investment commitments in the first half of the year rose 20 percent to 204 billion pesos from a year earlier, the Board of Investments said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)   

·        The securities regulator has yet to decide on its course of action on the recent Supreme Court ruling directing it to look into the foreign ownership limit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company . (BUSINESSMIRROR)      

·        Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said he has signed the revenue regulation covering real estate investment trusts, with the policy to take effect after the publication of the rules. (BUSINESSWORLD)   

·        San Miguel Energy Corp, the power investment arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation, plans to list in the local bourse within the year, group president Ramon Ang said.  (BUSINESSWORLD)  

·        The Bank of the Philippine Islands, the country's third largest by assets, is confident of surpassing its 12 percent lending growth target for the year, its chief executive said. (BUSINESSWORLD)   

·        Senator and businessman Manuel Villar Jr. said his family might venture into power generation and other infrastructure-related projects, partly to support the clan's property ventures under Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. (ALL PAPERS)

GLOBAL MARKET NEWS 

·        Asian shares seen tentative, global markets sag     

·        Gold gleams for third day, China rates weigh         

·        Oil flat, buffeted by demand worry as volume ebbs         

·        Euro drops for 2nd straight day; China hikes rates

·        Portugal downgrade weakens euro; Wall St ends up         

   ----------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0007 GMT ----------------

              INSTRUMENT        LAST     PCT CHG     NET CHG

S&P 500               1339.22      0.10         1.34

USD/JPY                 80.90     -0.04        -0.03

US 10YR             3.12      0.17         0.01

SPOT GOLD             1527.31     -0.01        -0.19

US CRUDE       CLc1          97.14      0.51         0.49

DOW JONES            12626.02      0.45        56.15

ASIA ADRS             140.14     -0.01        -0.02

FTSE 100             6002.92     -0.35       -21.11

  -------------------------------------------------------------

    ($1 USD = ₱ 42.89 pesos)                                

  Pan-Asia...... Japan........ S.Korea....     

  S.E Asia............  Hong Kong... Taiwan.....

  Australia/NZ.........  India....... China.....                 

  OTHER MARKETS:                                                 

  Wall Street...........  Gold....... Currency.

  Eurostocks...........  Oil......... JP bonds..        

  ADR Report.......... LME metals.. US bonds..        

  Stocks News US... Stocks News Europe..   

  DIARIES & DATA:                                                  

  IPO diary & data  Asia earnings diary        

  U.S. earnings diary   European diary          

  Wall Street Week Ahead   Eurostocks Week Ahead       

  World forecasts                                

  TOP NEWS:                                                    

  For top Asian company news, double click on:        [nTOPEQA      

  U.S. company news    European company news  

  Forex news           Global Economy news

  Technology news     Telecoms news          

  Media news         Banking news                

  Politics/General news  Asia Macro data     

  A multimedia version of Reuters Top News is available at:      

  topnews.session.rservices.com                             

  LIVE PRICES & DATA:                                          

   Philippine stocks          Philippine peso              

  Philippine debt          Debt  <0#USBMK=>      

  World Stocks        <0#.INDEX>    Currency rates       

  Dow Jones/NASDAQ     Nikkei               

  FTSE 100                  LME price overview 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/markets-philippines-idUSL3E7I701K20110707

Continue reading

Philippines’ Social Security System (SSS) fund invests energy stocks

Philippines pension fund Social Security System (SSS) could increase investments in local equities by up to₱ 20 billion pesos ($470 million) and is particularly interested in energy stocks, its president and CEO said on Thursday.

The state-run fund for private sector workers, which has stakes in leading telecom Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co and top gold and copper miner Philex Mining Corp , expects to beat its net revenue target of ₱16 billion pesos this year given the stock market's rise to a record high.

SSS net revenue last year was ₱ 22 billion pesos.

"We should be able to do better than that," president and CEO Emilio de Quiros told a media forum, referring to this year's net revenue target.

"(Energy) is a sector that we are looking at, the potential is there. It's a sector that could provide good returns for us," he said, adding the fund may buy shares in initial public offerings of energy firms.

Food-to-power conglomerate San Miguel Corp said (July 7) it plans to list its energy unit, San Miguel Energy Corporation, this year.

De Quiros said the fund did not anticipate the stock market to hit new highs this year.

The Philippines' main stock index has risen more than 4 percent this year, hitting a record high on Tuesday (July 5). The market rose 63 percent in 2009 and 38 percent in 2010.

De Quiros said the fund's investments in stocks and government securities made up 21 percent of its investment funds of ₱286 billion pesos, below the 30 percent limit.

"We're examining very carefully whether we need to reallocate (investments) or increase a little. Right now, our investments are still doing well -- whether in mining, financials or telecom," he said.

The Philippines Stock Exchange wants to ease its listing and disclosure rules for petroleum and renewable energy firms, a sector seen as a growth driver for the bourse, the smallest amongst major Southeast Asian nations, and the economy.

Continue reading