Indonesia has emerged as Southeast Asia's worst-performing stock market by a wide margin, with its benchmark Jakarta Composite Index losing 43 percent of its value this year as mounting concerns over market transparency triggered a historic selloff.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is making an aggressive push to cure the Philippine stock market's chronic trading slump by enlisting market makers to keep money flowing.
The proposal is designed to give issuers greater flexibility in accessing capital markets while expanding financing options, particularly for companies that may not require a traditional IPO. The framework would also require issuers that choose direct listing to distribute at least P50 million worth of the same class of preferred shares to a minimum of 100 investors within one year after listing.
For many Filipinos, investing in the stock market still means selecting individual companies and hoping those picks outperform the broader market. Exchange Traded Funds offer a different approach by allowing investors to buy a basket of securities through a single transaction.
Philippine listed companies have ramped up share buybacks this year as the market’s continued slump pushed firms to act on what they see as deeply undervalued stock prices, according to data InsiderPH obtained from the Philippine Stock Exchange.
The Department of Justice rejected the Beloy siblings’ bid to blame their late father for a multibillion-share scam at Abra Mining & Industrial Corp., recommending criminal charges against executives and stockholders.
Despite global uncertainties, the country is expected to remain one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, according to officials of the financial firm.