PSE launches new disclosure engine

MANILA, Philippines - The operator of the country’s sole stock exchange has launched its new disclosure engine that allows faster dissemination of corporate announcements.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (PSE EDGE) is part of efforts to make the local bourse more competitive, officials said.

In a public notice, PSE said “all corporate disclosures and announcements of listed companies from Dec. 27 onwards will be accessible through the PSE EDGE website at http://edge.pse.com.ph.”

“The new EDGE website also contains company profiles, stock data and other listing and disclosure announcements, among others,” it added.

PSE EDGE, the new online disclosure system of the PSE, was designed and developed by the Korea Exchange.

PSE president and CEO Hans B. Sicat said PSE EDGE would reduce the timelag of information coming from issuers.

Technological improvements like the new disclosure engine allows retail investors to be at par with professional investors in terms of access to information, Sicat said.

“We could use this year as a jumpoff point for our three-year strategic growth plan on becoming a world class exchange by introducing new products, services and also by getting the appropriate recognition in corporate governance,” Sicat said.

The new disclosure system would use electronic templates “so that disclosure information can be easily integrated real-time, upon release to the public, in various systems such as the PSE website and trading terminals, and the systems of data vendors and analysts.”

It replaced the current Online Disclosure System where disclosures are submitted online in PDF format.

PSE EDGE would also be available in a mobile platform where company disclosures could be accessed in a dedicated website or by downloading a mobile application compatible with different operating systems.

PSE earlier said it is also working with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow the simultaneous submission by listed companies of disclosures to the PSE and SEC.

PSE chairman Jose T. Pardo said the PSE would continue promoting market awareness activities on the products it launched this year like the Exchange Traded Fund, Shariah list, the PSETradex and the PSE EDGE.

So far, only one-half of one percent of the Philippines’ nearly 100 million Filipinos is engaged in the local stock market, despite the PSE being one of the top performing bourses last year.

In 2013, the benchmark PSE index breached the 6,000 and 7,000 marks and hit an all-time intraday high of 7,403.65 and a record close of 7,349.95. It ended 2013 at 5,889.83, posting an annual gain of 1.3 percent.