Ayala Corporation recorded a net income of P5.8 billion in the first quarter of the year, expanding 15 percent from a year ago, as most of its businesses performed well with largest growth coming from its real estate, power generation, and automotive businesses.
This strong first quarter results was driven by the equity earnings contribution from the conglomerate’s business units, which reached P7.2 billion, 11 percent higher year-on-year. Ayala Land and Manila Water posted double-digit growth in equity earnings contribution, up 16 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Ayala Automotive rebounded in the first three months of the year with equity earnings contribution expanding fivefold on the back of strong sales in the Isuzu and Honda brands as its Volkswagen sales started to ramp up.
“As we conclude our medium-term plan this year and embark on a new five-year growth strategy, we are encouraged by the upbeat first quarter results of our businesses. We believe the Philippines continues to be fundamentally strong, and we expect most of our businesses to continue growing at a healthy pace,” Ayala president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.
Real Estate
Ayala Land registered a 14 percent growth in net income to P4.7 billion on the back of robust residential, office space sales, and commercial leasing segments and higher margins across all product lines. Real estate revenues, inclusive of interest income on accretion, grew 8 percent to P26.7 billion supported by the steady performance of its property development and commercial leasing businesses.
Residential revenues expanded 14 percent to P15.9 billion on higher bookings and project completion. Reservation sales rose 6 percent to P24.7 billion. This was supported by improved revenues from the sale of office space, which jumped 33 percent to P1.3 billion on bookings primarily from Alveo Financial Tower in Makati Central Business District.
Revenues from shopping center and office leasing segments improved during the period on contribution of newly opened malls and office spaces. Shopping center revenues expanded 15 percent to P3.6 billion, while office leasing revenues grew 13 percent to P1.4 billion. Together with hotels and resorts, shopping centers and office leasing, the recurring income business contributed 40 percent of Ayala Land’s net income in the first quarter.
Telecom
Globe Telecom sustained its robust topline growth bolstered by gains across its data-related product
segments, with net income growing 3 percent to P4.3 billion in the first three months of the year.
Globe’s bottomline growth was tempered by the P6.2 billion in depreciation expenses during the period. A 40 percent jump from a year ago, the depreciation expenses resulted from the one-time adjustments from end of useful life of certain assets, the additional depreciation charges from Bayan during the quarter which were not part of the depreciation in the previous year, as well as the depreciation of new assets completed in 2015.
Without the impact of non-recurring charges, foreign exchange gains, and mark-to-market charges,
Globe’s core net income stood at P4.2 billion in the first quarter, flat from a year ago.
Service revenues reached P29.9 billion in the first quarter, a 14 percent improvement from its year-ago level. This strong growth was partly driven by contribution from Bayan amounting to P1.5 billion.
Customer base expansion in both the prepaid and postpaid segments drove the 7 percent growth in mobile revenues, which reached P23.1 billion from a year ago. Globe’s mobile subscribers jumped 18 percent to 57.3 million at the end of the first quarter.
Mobile data service revenues soared 62 percent to P9.1 billion owing to the increasing smartphone penetration and availability of low-priced data capable devices combined with Globe’s attractive offerings and improved data network. This was partly offset by the decline in core mobile voice and SMS revenues by 11 percent and 15 percent, respectively as traffic shifted to data services.
Similarly, Globe’s group home broadband business, which includes Bayan, posted robust growth with revenues expanding 51 percent to P3.5 billion and subscriber base improving 41 percent to 1.1 million. Strong demand for internet and data connectivity combined with its bundled entertainment-related content offerings drove Globe’s home broadband revenues during the period. Globe’s corporate data business likewise soared, climbing 51 percent to P2.3 billion on increased demand for service solutions and cloud-based services from corporate clients.
This translated to a consolidated EBITDA of P13 billion, 18 percent higher year-on-year, with EBITDA
margin at 44 percent, higher than the 42 percent recorded the previous year.
Banking
Bank of the Philippine Islands reported a net income of P5 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 1.3 percent year-on-year as its core lending business, non-interest income, and securities trading continue to improve.
The bank’s total revenues grew 5 percent to P15.3 billion supported by the 6 percent increase in net interest income, which reached P10 billion. Non-interest income improved 2.8 percent to P5.3 billion on combined gains from securities and foreign exchange trading, which grew 22 percent.
BPI’s operating expenses went up 7.3 percent to P7.9 billion, primarily driven by higher regulatory and marketing-related costs. This translated to a slight increase in cost-to-income ratio to 51.4 percent from
50.3 percent a year ago.
The bank’s loan portfolio expanded 18.1 percent to P861.2 billion, comprising 78 percent corporate and
22 percent retail borrowers. Despite the growth in the bank’s loan book, its gross 90-day non-performing loans slightly decreased to 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, total deposits reached P1.3 trillion, 12 percent higher from its year-ago level. Current and savings account at the end of the first quarter stood at 72.6 percent.
This puts BPI’s total assets to P1.5 trillion, up 9 percent year-on-year. The bank’s capital adequacy during the period remains strong, recording a 7 percent increase from the previous year to P156 billion, with capital adequacy ratio at 13.9 percent.
Water
Manila Water registered a 3 percent growth in net income to P1.5 billion in the first three months of the
year on improved East Zone operations, backed by strong topline growth of its domestic businesses.
Billed volume in the Metro Manila East Zone climbed 6 percent owing to the expansion initiatives in the Pasig, Marikina, and Taguig areas. Furthermore, its domestic operations jumped 44 percent to P643 million bolstered by higher connections and upward tariff adjustments particularly in Laguna Water and Boracay Water as well as contribution from Estate Water.
Manila Water’s two bulk water companies in Vietnam, Thu Duc Water and Kenh Dong Water as well as its investment in Saigon Water, grew 4 percent year-on-year. Manila Water’s businesses outside the East Zone, which includes domestic and overseas operations, collectively grew 4 percent, accounting for 15 percent of its net income in the first quarter.
Manila Water continues to improve its operating efficiencies, with non-revenue water in the Metro Manila concession lower at 11.2 percent at the end of the first quarter, a 0.9 percent-point improvement year-on-year. Meanwhile, collection efficiency remained strong in the first three months of the year at
100 percent.
Electronics Manufacturing
Integrated Microelectronics registered a net income of $6.5 million (or P311 million) in the first quarter, a 4 percent decline year-on-year. IMI’s continued shift in revenue mix to new platform technologies drove the 3.2 percent sequential improvements in its consolidated revenues from the fourth quarter of
2015 to $199.1 million (or P9.4 billion) in the first quarter of the year.
This transition reflects IMI’s strategy to exit some of its low-margin consumer electronics businesses and the discontinued products in the computing segment as it ramps up its automotive and industrial products.
IMI’s China operations posted a 3.3 percent decline in revenues to $66.6 million as customer demand on consumer electronics slow down, including phased out models. Its revenues from its Europe and Mexico operations grew 6.4 percent to $73.3 million in the first quarter on higher demand in the automotive segment, mitigating the effect of a weaker euro. Meanwhile, IMI’s revenues from its Philippine operations decreased 2.3 percent to $51.4 million on strong growth in the automotive and industrial segments, which partially filled the revenue gap from computer peripherals.
Power and Transport
AC Energy sustained its positive earnings trajectory, generating a net income of P250 million in the first
quarter as its power projects achieved more efficient operating levels.
AC Energy currently has approximately 650 megawatts in attributable capacity across its conventional and renewable investments. With financial close of the first unit of the 2x660MW GN Power Diningin plant expected in the third quarter of this year, AC Energy is set to achieve its goal of assembling 1,000 megawatts of attributable capacity by the end of 2016.
In transport, AC Infrastructure recorded net earnings of P23 million following the systems takeover of LRT1 in September last year. AC Infrastructure currently has three public-private partnership projects in its portfolio – the 4-kilometer Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, the Beep ticketing system, and the extension and operations and maintenance of LRT1.
Balance Sheet
Ayala maintains a comfortable balance sheet that allows it to pursue investments as well as cover its dividend and debt obligations. At end of the first quarter, parent company cash stood at P37.7 billion, putting its net debt-to-equity ratio to 0.43 at the parent level and 0.60 at the consolidated level. Ayala’s loan-to-value ratio, which is the ratio of its parent net debt to the value of its investments, stood at 8.1 percent at the end of the first quarter.
This week, Ayala filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the issuance of peso fixed rate bonds of up to P20 billion to be issued in one or more tranches. The first tranche of the bonds, which will be used primarily to refinance existing debt, will be issued with a principal amount of P10 billion and tenor of 7 years.
The press statement below pertains to the disclosure submitted to the SEC, PSE, and PDEx by Ayala’s General Counsel, Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary Solomon M. Hermosura.
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