Share prices ended flat as late-session buying staved off another negative close for the index.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) was up 5.77 points or by 0.09 percent to 6,318.38.
The broader all shares index was down 26.70 points to 3,788.52, a 0.70 percent drop.
Losers edged gainers 136 to 74 with 36 stocks unchanged. Trading turnover reached P7.36 billion.
The peso closed at 50.50 to the dollar, up from 50.58 on Monday. The currency opened at 50.57, hit a high of 50.47 and a low of 50.57. Trading turnover reached $879 million.
“Shares ended a volatile session flat after whipsawing between steep losses and gains as the number of confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases continued to rise,” said stock broker SB Equities Inc.
SB Equities said the market initially followed the overnight result of Wall Street which dropped 3.3 percent before bouncing back despite the government reporting 11 new cases of COVID-19 the afternoon, to bring the total case tally to 33.
Most actively traded SM Prime Holdings Inc. was down P0.60 to P35.50. Ayala Land Inc. was down P0.65 to P37.10. International Container Terminal Services Inc. was up P3 to P92. BDO Unibank Inc. was up P8 to P139. SM Investments Corp. was down P2.50 to P900.
Ayala Corp. was up P6 to P610. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. was up P0.02 to P3.50.
Universal Robina Corp. was down P4.30 to P117.50. Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. was up P1.85 to P49.35. PLDT Inc. was down P11 to P1,010.
