PEPSI-COLA Products Philippines Inc., which had its market debut on February 1 on the first board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), closed the week ended April 4 at P3.25 after hitting P3.30, its highest since February 20, and dropping to a low of P3.15.

Pepsi-Cola offered 380.783 million new shares through an initial public offering early this year. The Guoco Group and The Nassim Fund joined the public offering by selling 761.565 million shares. These new shares sold via the IPO and the shares sold by existing stockholders were priced at P3.50

With its performance last week, Pepsi-Cola made it to the market’s list of top gainers at No. 4, below rarely traded San Miguel Purefoods Co. “A”, Cyber Bay Corp. and Makati Finance Corp.

The top three performers are among the market’s rarely traded stocks. During the week, Makati Finance had value turnover of P4,000; Cyber Bay, P20.473 million; and Purefoods “A”, P6,000.

The Government of Singapore Investment Pte. Ltd. was one of the big buyers of Pepsi’s IPO offering and continued to pile up more shares by buying in the open market.

In a filing, Pepsi-Cola reported to regulators that with its latest acquisitions of 9.003 million shares at prices ranging from a low of P2.85 to a high of P2.867, the Singapore investment company increased its holdings to 417.913 million shares, or 11.3059 percent.

The market weekly report prepared by PSE’s monitoring team included property companies among the top gainers. Among these were Vista Land and Landscapes Inc., Philippine Realty and Holdings Corp. and Robinsons Land Corp.

Vista Land, which is the listed property company of the family of Senate President Manuel Villar, gained 11.67 percent, to close at P3.35 on Friday, apparently on a disclosure that its board approved the distribution of P0.064 dividend, which will be paid on May 14 to stockholders as of April 17.

Vista Land, which used C&P Homes Inc. to get listed by way of introduction, reported last week that its net profit more than doubled to P3.469 billion in 2007 from P1.458 billion in 2006. In 2005, it reported net income of P471.059 million.

With its profitability, Vista Land reported for the first time retained earnings of P3.469 billion, which is actually its profit in 2007 from which the company dividend amounting to P542.90 million will be taken. It did not report any surplus in 2006 and 2005.

Philippine Realty and Holdings Corp. closed the year with deficit of P1.627 billion. Despite this, the company was one of last week’s biggest gainers at No. 14 as it climbed 10.26 percent during the five sessions. It closed on Friday at P0.43.

Robinsons Land Corp., the property unit of the JG Summit group controlled by the family of businessman John Gokongwei Jr., rose 7.14 percent during the week. It closed on Friday at P11.25, still way below its 30-day high of P12.25, which it recorded on February 20.

In a report to regulators, Robinsons Land said its consistent profitability in the last three years has enabled its stock to attract investors. In 2007, it said its net income rose 41.855 percent to P2.447 billion from P1.725 billion in 2006. It registered net profit of P1.231 billion in 2005 on revenues of P5.438 billion.

A holding company also landed among last week’s best performers. Benpres Holdings Corp., the listed holding company of the Lopezes, closed the week ended April 4 at P2.75 after opening at P2.89, its session’s high, and fell to a low of P2.70. The stock’s performance during the week was enough to land it among the market’s biggest gainers but way below the top 30 list at No. 23.

The details of Benpres’s financial performance for 2007 will be known when it holds its annual stockholders’ meeting on June 12, which is Independence Day.

Interport is back

Investors, who have been eagerly awaiting the resumption of trading on Interport Resources Corp., pulled down the stock, which plunged 30.77 percent. Its “A” shares closed at P0.009 on Friday after PSE lifted the suspension starting April 1. Its “B” shares did not do better, closing the week also at P0.009.

Megaworld registered the biggest value turnover among the week’s 28 worst performers. It closed at P2.28 on Friday, for 4.80 percent loss on value turnover of P773.818 million.

Alliance Global Group Inc. is the biggest stockholder of Megaworld. As of December 31, 2007, it owned 11.248 Megaworld shares, or 42.22 percent.

Both companies are controlled by businessman Andrew Tan. But while Megaworld was among the losers, Alliance Global landed among the week’s gainers. It closed on Friday at P4.20 for 9.09 percent gain in five sessions.

THE Gotianun-led Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) said its net income for 2007 grew 95 percent to P1.7 billion from P872 million a year earlier as sales improved to nearly 50 percent.

Pepsi, property firms last week’s top gainers

PEPSI-COLA Products Philippines Inc., which had its market debut on February 1 on the first board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), closed the week ended April 4 at P3.25 after hitting P3.30, its highest since February 20, and dropping to a low of P3.15.

THE country’s oldest conglomerate Ayala Corp. is investing in new high-growth sectors and has identified the offshore and outsourcing (O&O) market as an area with potential for significant growth.

LED by an increase in revenues generated from its natural gas-fired power plants, Lopez-managed First Gen Corp. (First Gen) reported Friday that its net income increased by 14 percent to $104.7 million last year compared to the previous year.

 n LAST week: The PSE index fluctuated a lot last week as it registered both gains and losses. But at the end of Friday’s trading, the index managed a 27.02-point gain or .91-percent up week on week to close at 2,983.04.

THERE’S talk Sumitomo Corp. is looking at lakeside property in Taguig to put up an industrial park.