The peso closed lower at 43.665 per US dollar yesterday; shares also finished  0.87 percent lower.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index decreased by 42. 90 points to 4,900.94. The all-share index went down by 19.80 points, or 0.60 percent, to 3,296.6.

There were 79 gainers and 97 losers; 36 stocks closed flat.

Trading volume reached 18.43 billion shares worth P8.54 billion

A total of $1,293.960 million changed hands at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

Asian stock markets were mostly lower as talks to prevent Greece from going belly up dragged on amid divisions over how to cut the country’s debt further and impose even tighter control over its spending.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was marginally lower at 9,478.05.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.3 percent to 21,375.06.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.6 percent to 2,012.72.

Benchmarks in Taiwan and Singapore also fell.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4 percent to 4,275. Key indexes in mainland China and New Zealand  rose.

A waning yen failed to perk up many of Japan’s big exporters, whose profits increase when the home currency weakens. Panasonic Corp. lost 1.2 percent, Sharp Corp. fell 1.1 percent, and Nintendo Co. fell one percent.

European leaders were meeting in Brussels overnight to hammer out a rescue package for Greece, which is teetering on the brink of a major debt default. The rescue money has been delayed because lenders want the country to do more cost-cutting first.

Greece urgently needs to secure the $170-billion package before it can move ahead with yet another deal to sharply reduce the amount of money Greece owes its private investors.

If no deal is reached, Greece will hurtle toward a default on its debts, starting on March 20 when a bond repayment is due.

US markets were closed Monday for President’s Day holiday. Traders will be looking for signs of economic recovery in the world’s No. 1 economy on Wednesday, when the National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for January.