Asia climbs, PH shares fall as investors digest earnings reports

Asian markets climbed on Wednesday as investors returned to artificial intelligence-related stocks, buoyed by strong earnings from a technology company and robust demand for Anthropic’s planned initial public offering.

A regional gauge rose 1.6 percent, while European stocks also opened Wednesday’s session in positive territory.

In contrast, Philippine shares ended lower after trading mostly flat throughout the session.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 0.4 percent, closing just below the 5,700 level. Net foreign buying stood at 55.4 million pesos.

Corporate earnings also featured prominently, with several major Philippine companies reporting higher profits for the first nine months of the year.

SM Investments Corp. posted a nine-month net income of 70 billion pesos, up nine percent from the same period last year.

The parent firm of the SM Group attributed its growth to resilient consumer demand, which supported its retail and malls businesses, as well as stronger earnings from portfolio investments.

Revenues also increased to 506 billion pesos. Banking accounted for 48 percent of the total, followed by property, retail, and portfolio investments.

Meanwhile, International Container Terminal Services, Incorporated reported a 20-percent increase in net income for the January-to-September period, reaching nearly 900 million U.S. dollars.

The company said existing operations delivered stronger revenues and earnings, while recently added terminals also contributed to its growth.

ICTSI, led by tycoon Enrique Razon, added that its diversified portfolio helped sustain its performance despite a more challenging operating environment.

ACEN Corp., the renewable energy arm of the Ayala Group, also recorded stronger earnings, with its nine-month net income rising 84 percent to 3.3 billion pesos.

The company attributed the growth to higher power generation, sustained retail expansion, and increased contracted energy volumes.

ACEN said its attributable renewable energy portfolio now exceeds 7,400 megawatts, with additional capacity expected from battery storage projects under construction in the Philippines.

Shell Pilipinas Corp., meanwhile, narrowed its nine-month net loss to 929 million pesos, following a stronger third-quarter performance that helped offset disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.

The company returned to positive core earnings in the third quarter, bringing its year-to-date core net loss down to 1.7 billion pesos.

Finally, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. reported a 13.5-percent increase in nine-month net income to 23.6 billion pesos.

The Yuchengco Group’s banking arm said higher interest margins and stronger core banking operations supported its performance.

RCBC’s net income reached five billion pesos, while total assets grew to 1.42 trillion pesos. – ANC, The World Tonight, November 11, 2026