Fifteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by MRC Allied Inc. which climbed 12.9 percent to P0.395 and Marcventures Holdings Inc. which went up 10.3 percent to P2.04. Meanwhile, most Asian markets rose on stronger-than-expected growth figures in China. Most other regional investors built on last week’s solid gains, tracking fresh highs for the Dow and S&P 500 prompted by below-par US inflation and retail sales data. The US readings missed forecasts and fueled speculation that the Federal Reserve’s plans to raise interest rates this year could be put on the back burner. Lower expectations for a rise in US interest rates rattled the dollar on Friday.

Source: The Standard July 17, 2017 11:37 UTC