PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI) Plans $0.75 Dividend

PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI) declared a dividend on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of 0.7515 per share by the technology company on Friday, September 25th. This represents a yield of 771.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 27th.

PLDT has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.0%annually over the last three years. PLDT has a payout ratio of 36.5% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect PLDT to earn $2.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.10 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 41.0%.

PLDT Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE PHI opened at $19.49 on Friday. PLDT has a 12-month low of $17.05 and a 12-month high of $24.51. The company has a market capitalization of $4.21 billion, a PE ratio of 8.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $18.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.45.

PLDT (NYSE:PHI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 14th. The technology company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.03). PLDT had a return on equity of 27.37% and a net margin of 13.62%.The business had revenue of $903.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $880.27 million. Equities analysts anticipate that PLDT will post 2.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings cut PLDT from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of PLDT in a report on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded PLDT from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, PLDT currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

About PLDT

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is the largest integrated telecommunications provider in the Philippines, offering a comprehensive suite of fixed‐line, wireless, broadband Internet, and digital solutions to residential, enterprise, and government customers. Founded in 1928, PLDT has played a pivotal role in the development of the country’s communications infrastructure, evolving from a traditional operator of long‐distance telephone lines into a diversified digital services provider.

PLDT operates two main business segments: its fixed‐line and broadband operations under the PLDT brand and its wireless services through subsidiary Smart Communications.