The PSEi (the main index tracking the 30 largest companies on the Philippine Stock Exchange) also last closed on Friday, September 4, it rose 0.35%, or 21.18 points, to 6,090.60. Stocks got a small lift after Philippine inflation (the rate at which prices for everyday goods are rising) eased slightly to 6.1% in August from 6.2% in July. However, that's still well above the central bank's (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, or BSP) target range of 2-4%, so investors stayed cautious about the chance of further interest rate hikes. Trading was thin, with turnover well below the recent daily average, and the peso touched a fresh intraday record low against the US dollar during the session. Advancers narrowly beat decliners, 108 to 93. Mining and oil stocks led the day's gains as a group, rising 0.75%. Coal miner Semirara Mining and Power jumped 3.16% to ₱17.64. Fast-food giant Jollibee fell 1.95% to ₱151 after recent investor caution around its outlook, while Meralco (the country's largest power distributor) edged up 0.35% to ₱462, and renewable energy firm ACEN slipped 1.10% to ₱2.70.
Daily Digest ·
The PSEi (the main index tracking the 30 largest companies on the Philippine…
What moved Wall Street and the PSEi, and what it means for your money, in plain language.
Today, in Two Lines
The day’s biggest story in each market.
The PSEi (the main index tracking the 30 largest companies on the Philippine Stock Exchange) also last closed on Friday, September 4, it rose 0.35%, or 21.18 points, to 6,090.60.
US & PH Markets at Last Close
Where each market finished its most recent trading session before this issue went out.
US markets
| S&P 500 | 7,718.60 -0.38% |
| Dow Jones | 53,414.25 -0.51% |
| Nasdaq | 26,506.99 -0.29% |
| 10-Yr Treasury Yield | 4.78% |
Philippine markets
| PSEi | 6,090.60 +0.35% |
| USD/PHP | 62.60 +0.33% |
| BSP Rate | 5.00% |
Winners & Losers
The stocks that moved most, and why.
USUnited States
- LULU Lululemon Athletica-17.4%
Cut full-year revenue and profit guidance after a weak quarter and declining China sales
- TSLA Tesla-5.9%
Cybercab robotaxi launch disappointed investors; US safety regulator opened a review
- FICO Fair Isaac Corp-16.0%
US housing regulator moved to let lenders use a rival credit-scoring system, threatening FICO's business
- BE Bloom Energy+7% (regular session)
Surged, then rose further after hours, on news it will join the S&P 500 index later this month
PHPhilippines
- SCC Semirara Mining and Power+3.16%
Mining and oil sector led the day's rebound on bargain hunting
- JFC Jollibee Foods Corp-1.95%
Continued softness in investor sentiment toward the stock
- MER Manila Electric Co (Meralco)+0.35%
Modest gain in a broadly positive session
- ACEN ACEN Corp-1.10%
Slight pullback amid otherwise cautious, thin trading
Today’s Full Story
PHPhilippines
US–PHHow US news affects the Philippines
Here's how Friday's two stories connect. The stronger-than-expected US jobs report raised the odds that the Fed will hike interest rates again this month. When the Fed raises rates, it tends to make the US dollar more attractive to global investors relative to other currencies, including the Philippine peso, which is part of why the peso hit a fresh record low against the dollar the very same day the PSEi was reporting slightly easier local inflation. This matters for ordinary Filipinos in a few ways. A weaker peso means imported goods (including fuel) get more expensive, which works against the very inflation relief the PSEi was celebrating, so any Fed rate hike this month could squeeze BSP's room to ease its own rate policy. On the flip side, a weaker peso is good news if you receive US dollar income: OFW remittances and BPO (call center and outsourcing) worker paychecks convert into more pesos when the exchange rate weakens. So the same Fed decision that spooked Wall Street investors on Friday is quietly a mixed bag back home, a headache for imports and inflation, but a small silver lining for dollar-earning households.
Sa Taglish
So ganito 'yun: lumakas ang US jobs report nung Friday, mas malamang na tataasan ulit ng Federal Reserve (parang BSP nila sa US) ang interest rates nila this month. Every time tumataas ang interest rates sa US, mas naaakit ang mga investors doon, kaya lumalakas ang dolyar, at 'yun din 'yung dahilan kung bakit bumagsak ulit ang piso sa bagong record-low noong araw ding 'yun, kahit medyo gumaan naman ang inflation dito sa Pilipinas. Bakit mahalaga 'to sa 'yo? Kapag humina ang piso, mas mahal ang mga imported goods, kasama na ang gasolina, kaya parang binabawi n'ya 'yung konting relief na dulot ng pagbaba ng inflation. Pero may silver lining din: kung tumatanggap ka ng dolyar, remittance galing sa OFW na kamag-anak, o sahod mula sa BPO/call center na may US client, mas malaki ang pisong makukuha mo kapag humina ang piso. So 'yung parehong balita na nagpababa sa Wall Street noong Friday, dito sa atin, mixed bag: sakit ng ulo sa imports at implasyon, pero konting ginhawa naman para sa mga dolyar-earner.
USD/PHP
Biggest mover: Dow Jones -0.51%
What to Watch
- Watch the peso's exchange rate against the dollar in the coming days, another record low would signal markets are pricing in a September Fed rate hike with more confidence.
- Keep an eye on the BSP's next policy statement, since it will need to weigh the peso's weakness and above-target inflation against any further Fed moves.
- Lululemon and Tesla's stumbles are worth tracking for signs of broader consumer and EV-sector softness heading into the next earnings cycle.
Sources
The original reporting behind this issue.
US markets
- Stock Market Today (Sept. 4, 2026): Yields jump, stocks fall after jobs report surprises to upside
- Lululemon sinks after cutting forecast as revenue declines
- Tesla's stock drops as Cybercab update 'underwhelms' Wall Street
- Mid-Morning Look: September 04, 2026
- Bloom Energy (BE) Stock Surges 6% After Hours on S&P 500 Addition News
PH markets
- PSEi extends gains on softer inflation
- PSE Index Edges Higher as Thin Trading Reflects Investor Caution
- PSE Edge portal (Index Summary)
- Semirara Mining & Power Corp Stock Price Quote
Cross US–PH
Terms to know
- Stock
- A tiny piece of ownership in a company. Buying a company's stock means you own a small part of that business.
- Stock market
- The overall marketplace where stocks are bought and sold. When we say 'the market' or show numbers like the S&P 500 or PSEi, we mean a snapshot of how stocks overall are doing that day.
- Interest rate
- The cost of borrowing money, or what you earn for saving it. When rates go up, loans get pricier, but savings can earn a bit more.
- Inflation (CPI)
- When everyday prices rise over time, so the same money buys less than before. CPI is the number used to measure it.
- Fed (Federal Reserve)
- The US central bank. It sets interest rates, which affect how expensive it is to borrow money, even here in the Philippines.
- BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)
- The Philippine central bank, PH's equivalent of the Fed.
- PSEi
- A single number that tracks how the Philippines' biggest company stocks are doing overall, like a report card for the PH stock market.
- bps (basis points)
- A small unit for measuring interest rate changes: 100 bps = 1%. Used because rate changes are usually tiny.
- 10-Yr Yield
- The interest rate the US government pays to borrow money long-term. When it rises, loans and mortgages tend to get pricier everywhere, not just in the US.
- USD/PHP
- How many pesos it takes to buy one US dollar.
- OFW remittances
- Money sent home by overseas Filipino workers, a key driver of peso demand.
Summaries, mover explanations, and forward-looking notes in this issue are AI-written from real market data and sourced news. Not financial advice.