Ben D. Kritz
AS a general rule, the significance of the performance of any stock market to its corresponding national economy is overstated. There are times, however, when the market actually does serve as the canary in the coal mine, giving warning of impending danger to the economy before it becomes obvious to everyone. In that sense, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi), which fell into bear market territory this week, may in fact be a suffocating bird.