2 weeks ago
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Richmond Mercurio - The Philippine Star
March 2, 2025 | 12:00am
The ASEAN Exchanges, a collaboration among the exchanges in Southeast Asian countries, expects new listings in sectors such as real estate, technology and energy for the Philippines this year.
The STAR / Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — A strong pipeline of new listings is seen in the country this year as companies plan to tap the capital markets for funding.
The ASEAN Exchanges, a collaboration among the exchanges in Southeast Asian countries, expects new listings in sectors such as real estate, technology and energy for the Philippines this year.
It said the new listings would be complemented by a robust pipeline of corporate bonds, which are also seen to remain a key funding tool for local firms.
“Overall, despite global challenges, the Philippine capital market is set to experience steady expansion with increased listings, strong bond issuance and growing investor participation,” the ASEAN Exchanges said.
The group of exchanges said the outlook for the Philippine market is largely influenced by government policies, a strong retail investor base and a focus on sustainable finance.
It sees digitalization in the capital market to continue driving retail participation and increased market liquidity.
Further, it said a new interest rate swap market unveiled by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas should further support the country’s capital market development by enhancing trading and liquidity in the domestic bond market.
The ASEAN Exchanges said that the government is also set to reduce the stock transaction tax to 0.1 percent from 0.6 percent under the Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Act.
“This reform aims to improve the competitiveness of the Philippine Stock Exchange by lowering trading costs and attracting more investors. The PSE has faced challenges with low daily trading volumes and a limited number of listed companies, which have hindered its growth and market activity,” it said.
