PSE seeks more investors from Visayas, Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - The operator of the country’s stock exchange aims to encourage more residents of southern Philippines to invest in the local bourse.

The Capital Markets Investment Conference of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) would bring together experts from various fields to talk about the economic prospects of the country and the outlook for the capital markets on May 16.

“The PSE has had several market education projects in the Visayas to address the growing interest in the stock market in the region,” said PSE chief operating officer Roel A. Refran.

“We hope that the investment conference that the PSE is organizing will further boost interest and confidence in the equities market,” Refran said.

The investment conference would have a plenary session in the morning that would feature speakers from the government, brokerage houses, and the PSE, among others.

Breakout sessions will be conducted in the afternoon with topics like the Basics of Stock Market Investing, How to Raise Capital in the Stock Market, Investing in Shariah Compliant Securities, Online Trading, How to Invest in Unit Investment Trust Funds, Trading Strategies, How to Invest in Exchange Traded Funds and Enhancing Investor Safeguards.

PSE regularly conducts investor education initiatives in the Visayas region, including regular stock market orientation for retail investor and companies as well as briefing on new PSE products and services.

PSE earlier partnered with the University of San Carlos Cebu to offer the Certified Securities Specialist Course.

Total investor accounts rose 4.1 percent to 525,850 accounts in 2012 from 505,054 accounts in 2011, PSE data showed. Of the total 525,850 accounts, retail investors accounted for 96.4 percent while the remaining 3.6 percent were classified as institutional accounts, which are held by corporations and investment firms.

However, stock market investors account for less than one percent of the Philippines’ 90 million population.