Let’s recap the performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) last year and find out the winning and losing stocks of 2018! This can help guide us in choosing the best stocks to invest in this new year 2019.
2018 PSE Performance in Review
The year 2018 was undeniably a rough year for investors. The PSE closed the year with a negative one-year return of -12.76%, which means if you invested P100,000 at the beginning of 2018, this investment is now just worth P87,240.00 by the end of the year.
(See also: Annual Performance of PSE Stocks and Year-End Closing Prices)
That certainly hurts, because it translates to a monetary loss of P12,760 on a P100,000 investment. Don’t worry, though, because unless you sold your stock holdings, this remains to be unrealized, paper loss. There is possibility of capital recovery, but you’ll have to wait when stock prices rise again.
The PSE’s negative performance in 2018 is a stark contrast from the +25.11% full-year return just a year before that, in 2017.
As can be seen from the graph above, stock investing is undoubtedly volatile and fickle. The fluctuating returns prove that we cannot expect consistent and sustained gains or losses in the long run. The good news, though, is that the PSE had more years of gains than losses from 2008 to 2018.
At the same time, it is noteworthy to point out that from 2009 until 2014, Philippine stocks were able to achieve six (6) years of continuous, back-to-back-to-back yearly gains. Those who were able to ride this 6-year wave certainly made money.
The best performance of the PSE in the past 10 years was in 2009 with an astounding full-year returns of +63.00%. This means your P100,000 investment would have grown to P163,000 in just one year.
The worst year, meanwhile, was in 2008 at the height of the global economic crisis. The PSE booked a full-year loss of -48.29% which sadly means a P100,000 capital would have shrunk to just P51,710 — your money cut in half — after just one year!
For now, let’s focus on 2018 and find out which stocks in the PSE earned the distinction of being the Best and Worst Stock Performers 2018 in terms of returns.
All eyes are on the best performing stocks, as investors bet on whether these stocks can replicate their topnotch performance this year. Have they reached their peak or is the upsurge just starting? Which stocks are your top bets this 2019?
Best Stock Gainers (Top 10 Winners) in 2018
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Philippines Manila | Manila | 98% | 316 | 321 |
| 1 | Cebu Institute of Medicine | Cebu City | 98% | 256 | 259 |
| 2 | West Visayas State University | Iloilo City | 97% | 199 | 204 |
| 3 | University of Santo Tomas | Manila | 96% | 929 | 959 |
| 4 | Ateneo de Manila University | Quezon City | 95% | 253 | 264 |
| 5 | University of the East Ramon Magsaysay | Quezon City | 94% | 632 | 669 |
| 6 | Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation | Quezon City | 93% | 738 | 789 |
| 6 | Cebu Doctors' University | Mandaue City | 93% | 226 | 241 |
| 7 | Davao Medical School Foundation | Davao City | 91% | 232 | 254 |
| 8 | Saint Louis University | Baguio City | 89% | 264 | 295 |
| 9 | Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City | Valenzuela City | 86% | 532 | 614 |
At the same time, speculators are monitoring last year’s list of worst performing stocks to see if these top losers can turn their stock prices around and pull off a price recovery this year. Is 2019 their time to shine?
Worst Stock Performers (Top 10 Losers) in 2018
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Luke's College of Medicine - William H. Quasha Memorial | Quezon City | 100% | 162 | 162 |
| 1 | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | Manila | 100% | 125 | 125 |
| 2 | San Beda College | Manila | 94% | 163 | 172 |
| 2 | Xavier University | Cagayan de Oro | 94% | 125 | 132 |
| 2 | Angeles University Foundation | Angeles City | 94% | 117 | 124 |
How did your stock holdings fare last year? If they’re not in the Top 10 Gainers and Losers list above, you can check their performance in the complete list below.
Here’s the full 1-year performance of all stocks traded in the PSE in 2018.
2018 Performance of All PSE Stocks
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Paul University Philippines | Tuguegarao City | 100% | 14 | 14 |
| 2 | Silliman University | Dumaguete City | 93% | 87 | 93 |
| 3 | Ateneo de Zamboanga University | Zamboanga City | 92% | 73 | 79 |
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