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Trading drops as PSE halts high flying Abra Mining stock

Daily trading in Philippine equities, Asia-Pacific’s second-worst performer this year with a 4.6% loss, has plunged from a record after the bourse suspended its most active stock — Abra Mining & Industrial Corp.

Shares of unprofitable Abra Mining were suspended indefinitely amid a probe by the exchange and the regulator for alleged violations that include trading of unissued and unlisted company stock. The halt, since March 4, will last until the infractions are resolved, the bourse said.

While Abra Mining comprised 77% of the market’s daily transactions this year before the suspension, appetite for other smaller and speculative equities that had skyrocketed amid a buying frenzy by individual investors has also been quelled by the trading halt.

“The suspension exposes the risk of speculative stocks,” said Rachelle Cruz, an analyst at AP Securities Inc. “Some investors playing with speculative issues got scared and pulled out their trades.”

From a record 221.23 billion shares on March 3, the market’s volume turnover plunged to 2.69 billion the next day, when the trading halt was imposed. While volume reached 9.13 billion shares on Wednesday, that’s barely a fifth of average 50 billion shares that changed hands daily in the first two months of the year.

Abra Mining, which hasn’t made a profit in at least two decades, surged as much as 279% this year to a peak in January. While the share’s gain has since pared to 59%, trading volume still jumped to a record 215.45 billion on March 3.

The halt caught traders of Abra Mining by surprise. Danilo, an information technology professional, bought the stock expecting it would again soar.

“I hope this suspension ends soon,” said Danilo, who declined to use his full name. The halt is “a heavy squeeze on those who put in a big sum and chased the stock before the suspension. Many investors are trapped.” — Bloomberg

Warren Buffett becomes sixth member of $100 billion club

Warren Buffett has been a fixture at the top of the world’s wealth rankings for decades, but in recent years he’s slipped down the list as tech fortunes soared and his hot hand cooled.

Now, at 90, his net worth has blown past $100 billion.

The Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman’s wealth jumped on Wednesday to $100.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That makes Buffett the sixth member of the $100 billion club, a group including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and his friend Bill Gates.

The clan’s combined wealth has grown rapidly, fueled by government stimulus, central-bank policy and the surging equity market. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill cleared its final congressional hurdle as the House voted to approve the legislation, adding to the $3 trillion or so in stimulus Washington has already disbursed in the past year.

Berkshire, the source of virtually all of Buffett’s wealth, has had a good start to 2021. The firm’s A shares are up 15% this year, outpacing the 3.8% gain of the S&P 500 Index. That’s been helped by Buffett’s recent push to spend record amounts buying back Berkshire’s own stock, a notable shift for an investor who previously preferred to use the $138 billion cash pile to buy other businesses or common shares.

Buffett’s been struggling in recent years to find sizable deals to spark Berkshire’s growth, partially due to the sheer size of the conglomerate. That’s caused the shares to underperform the S&P 500 over the past five years. But in 2020, Buffett spent a record $24.7 billion on buybacks and filings indicate he’s already bought at least $4.2 billion worth of stock through mid-February.

Surpassing $100 billion is all the more notable considering how much the Omaha billionaire has given away. A co-founder of the Giving Pledge, a campaign to encourage billionaire philanthropy, Buffett has donated more than $37 billion in Berkshire stock since 2006. Without those gifts, which have cut his holdings of Berkshire Class A shares nearly in half, he’d be worth more than $192 billion.

The staggering amount of wealth accumulated by the ultra-wealthy — $1.8 trillion by the world’s 500 richest in 2020 alone — highlights the K-shaped recovery that’s taking place as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic. While millions of disproportionately poor, working-class and minority people remain unemployed, the rich have seen incomes and net worth levels rise thanks to a buoyant stock market and rising home prices.

Meanwhile, more than 8 million Americans — including many children — fell into poverty in the second half of last year, according to an analysis by University of Chicago economist Bruce Meyer, University of Notre Dame’s James Sullivan and Zhejiang University’s Jeehoon Han.

Buffett added $1.9 billion to his fortune on Wednesday as Berkshire Class A shares hit a record high, helping lead a second day of gains for the S&P 500. — Bloomberg

Bull or bear market? Understanding the stock market post-COVID

BusinessWorld holds first Virtual Stock Market Roundtable

By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran, Special Features Writer

Since March last year, the Philippine stock market has been through quite a ride. After crashing to an eight-year low of 4623.42 due to a COVID-19-fueled investor sell-off, the Philippine Stock Exchange index has since climbed steadily, of late hovering around the 7,000-level mark a year after the crash.

At a glance, it seems bizarrely out of place. Many of the country’s economic prospects remain shrouded in uncertainty as COVID-19 continues to hold the world in a state of constant apprehension.

In the Philippines, especially, as it had just ended 2020 with the worst economic performance the country has seen since it began releasing growth data just after World War II in 1947. The country’s gross domestic product shrank 9.5% last year — the first annual contraction since the Asian financial crisis.

To understand the goings-on in the stock market, BusinessWorld, the country’s leading business daily, held its Virtual Stock Market Roundtable last Feb. 17, gathering financial experts to discuss the stock market’s 2020 performance and its prospects this year.

“This year is really the start of the country’s recovery story,” Michael Gerard Enriquez, chief investments officer of Sun Life Philippines, began.

“I think we’ve seen last year how the market has rebounded from its lows of about 4,600 and we ended the year up to 7,000. You see how the psyche of the market has moved and usually, it’s sentiment that drives markets faster than the actual recovery of the economy,” he said.

Mr. Enriquez pointed out that amid historic low interest rates and the slow resurgence of economic activity among consumers, the prospects of a rebound is likely, especially for the equity markets as consumption drives earnings.

April Lynn Lee-Tan, VP, head of research and chief equity strategist at COL Financial, echoed the sentiment. “It’s easier to be negative than to be positive nowadays. There are so many reasons to be negative, including the disappointing economic recovery of the Philippines relative to other Asian countries,” she said.

“But that said, am I bullish or bearish? When I weigh the positives and negatives, I have no choice but to be bullish,” she added.

Ms. Tan emphasized that despite the high unemployment rates, poor business confidence, and a conservative fiscal response from the government hampering growth, many factors remain in favor of the country’s recovery. For the equity market especially, the rollout of the vaccine and the boost in consumer confidence that comes with it will serve as a blessing.

“Last year, we didn’t know how this is going to end. But now, there’s a little bit more visibility,” she said.

Moreover, since the pandemic forced the country on lockdown last year, many new retail investors have come into the market and they have yet to see a reason to be bearish since.

JC Bisnar, CEO and co-founder of Investagrams, said that many retail investors made money buying stock during the market crash last year. And it could be a reason to remain hopeful for the growth of the market in the future.

“A lot of people had to resort to other means to make money during the pandemic, whether that be online businesses, freelancing, e-commerce, and the stock market,” he said.

“That’s one reason why a lot of new investors came into the market: because people were just looking for a way to make money outside of their regular jobs. I believe that realization will be the catalyst in spurring the growth of retail investors. Moving forward, I think people will realize that they cannot just rely on the stability of their jobs. They need something else for their financial wellness,” he added.

Despite all this, some caution may be warranted. “The performance of the stock market in some ways is not reflective of the general economy. The people who are buying stocks in the Philippines is less than 1% of the population, maybe 2% given the increase in the number of investors,” Ms. Tan said.

“From March to today, the market is up by a lot, from 4600. We have a lot of people making money and that’s why they are a lot more excited to keep on buying stocks. And that’s one of the reasons why retail investors are continuing to invest in this market, and we’ve been able to go up even in the absence of foreign investors,” she added.

“The key now is what to expect moving forward. Recovery will definitely come but it won’t be in one snap,” Mr. Bisnar added.

BusinessWorld Virtual Stock Market Roundtable is presented by BusinessWorld Publishing Corp.; with the support of Management Association of the Philippines, CFA Society-Philippines, Investagrams, and The Philippine STAR.

Preparing for Hybrid Work Setups with Aruba

Available through ICS, Aruba solutions equip organizations for both remote and on-site work.

In the past months, as the pandemic forced employees to continue working at home, both leaders and team players have seen the advantages and limitations of remote work. With several businesses having implemented it to a greater extent, some for the first time, remote work is expected to become a permanent component of work even after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stops spreading.

While convenient and mostly effective, the remote work setup has its limitations and is primarily dependent on factors such as a steady internet connection and the nature of work. Power outages, poor wi-fi quality, and the lack of signal availability can easily slow down internet connectivity resulting in less productive remote work output. The type of job one does also affects remote work as some are not conducive to this kind of setup due to the inherent task requirements of the job and certain essential work resources that are inaccessible remotely. As such, the post-pandemic work environment is foreseen to go hybrid. The new normal work week is set to become a mix of working from home as well as going on-site. 

A local survey conducted by professional recruitment consultancy firm Robert Walters during the lockdown shows that more than nine in 10 professionals (91%), prefer the work-from-home arrangement over in-office work once it resumes.

While this may be the case, Bhushan Sethi, a joint global leader of PricewaterhouseCooper’s People and Organization practice, recognizes that most businesses still need their team’s physical presence on-site. Thus, it will neither be fully remote nor back to a pre-pandemic mode of work in the ‘now normal’.

“With vaccines rolling out, more employees will return to an actual place of work. And managing that return will be tricky,” Mr. Sethi was quoted as saying in an article in Forbes.

Around the world, the remote work setup posed several challenges among company leaders, as identified by a study published in MIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR). These include a reduction in serendipitous connections, difficulties in starting new projects, lack of a strong sense of culture, as well as lack of mentoring and coaching among employees.

Therefore, decision-makers are advised to carefully consider how they will combine the best aspects of remote and on-site work. Companies can start by using technology to maximize in-person interactions by identifying who will be in the office at the same time and then suggesting new connections among those also at the office.

Empowering both your organization’s on-site and remote workforces is possible with Aruba’s connectivity solutions. A Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) company, Aruba has a diverse portfolio of networking technologies that can adequately equip companies for a hybrid work setup. 

Aruba’s Access Points (APs) deliver simple, fast, and secure access for employees anywhere they work. Aruba APs are integrated with AI-powered RF optimization, rich user and application intelligence, and smart management options for improved user experience, seamless cellular and Wi-Fi transitions, and SLA-grade application quality of service (QoS). Under Aruba’s wide range of wireless solutions are indoor and outdoor remote APs that are designed to provide unmatched Wi-Fi experience that enterprises need at present.

Aruba’s InstantOn AP15 is ideal for high-density, fast-paced workplaces with heavy mobile usage, where optimal performance is from numerous endpoints, cloud apps, and volumes of data, is a must.

Aruba APs work perfectly in tandem with Aruba Central, the industry’s only cloud-native command center for all-in-one LAN, WLAN, VPN, and SD-WAN operations across remote, campus, branch, and data center locations. It is ideal for offices embarking on remote work initiatives as it is designed to deliver the in-office experience to remote end-users who need permanent or temporary access. 

Aruba also has its Location Services portfolio, which enables organizations to engage with customers and employees in new and creative ways, including proximity-based notifications and location sharing, to name a few. 

These solutions can be coupled with the Aruba CX switches, which deliver cutting-edge hardware, intuitive management tools, and an operating system built on cloud-native design principles for evolving data centers. Aruba’s family of switches can simplify the management of networks with automation choices, perform intelligent reporting, deliver real-time analytics, as well as enable an ‘always-on’ network infrastructure. 

Aruba’s connectivity solutions for workplaces are available through Integrated Computer Systems Inc (ICS). ICS is a leading provider of IT solutions in the country for over 40 years, empowering clients to jumpstart and accelerate their digital transformation, especially in these uncertain times. An Aruba Platinum Partner, ICS currently offers a free trial of the Aruba Central. Learn more by visiting this link. For more information, you may email info@ics.com.ph. 

FDI inflows slump to lowest in 5 years

REUTERS

By Luz Wendy T. Noble, Reporter

FOREIGN direct investments (FDI) to the Philippines slid to a five-year low in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic drove investors toward safe havens.

Preliminary data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Tuesday showed FDI net inflows last year shrank by 24.6% to $6.542 billion from $8.671 billion in 2019.

This is the lowest since the $5.63 billion in FDI inflows seen in 2015, but exceeded the $6-billion full-year projection made by the BSP.

“The disruptive impact of the pandemic on global supply chains and the weak business outlook adversely affected investor decisions in 2020,” the central bank said in a statement.

FDI inflows dropped for the second straight year. In 2019, investor sentiment was affected by the US-China trade war, regulatory risks in the country, and lack of clarity in tax reforms.

“FDI flows slowed as the Philippines may no longer be as bright an investor destination given our fast fading economic prospects while investors are also likely holding on to cash to ride out the storm,” ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail.

In December, foreign investments into the Philippines plunged 62.6% to $509 million from $1.362 billion in the same month of 2019.

“The year-on-year decline in FDI in December 2020 was due mainly to base effects given significantly large inflows from net investments in equity capital and debt instruments in 2019,” the BSP said.

Equity other than reinvestment of earnings dropped by 89.8% to $78 million in December, as placements plummeted 87.8% to $97 million while withdrawals dropped 42.9% to $20 million.

The bulk of the equity capital placements came from Japan, the Netherlands, the United States, and Singapore, the central bank said. The funds flowed into the manufacturing, real estate, and the financial and insurance industries.

Investments in equity and fund shares likewise fell by 82.2% to $149 million in December, while inflows to debt instruments went down by 31.1% to $360 million.

Reinvestment of earnings declined 2.6% to $71 million in December.

The BSP expects FDI to reach $7.5 billion this year, up 15% from the 2020 level.

However, Mr. Mapa warned that the pandemic will continue to dampen the outlook for foreign investments.

“Getting the economy back on track will be the only strategy to increase our attractiveness as a destination once more while also quelling the ongoing pandemic,” he said.

The country’s gross domestic product shrank by record 9.5% last year but is expected to grow by 6.5% to 7.5% in 2021.

UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said the relatively high global liquidity might boost FDI inflows this year.

“My guess is that digital-based and essential investments will lead the way and investments heavy on human and face-to-face interactions may be laggards,” he said in an e-mail.

Mr. Asuncion said attractiveness of emerging markets like the Philippines to FDI inflows will depend on the pace of vaccine rollouts.

Uncertainty over the government’s tax reform program also dampened investor sentiment.

“Some foreign investors remained on a wait-and-see attitude before the possible signing of the CREATE (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises) Bill into law by President [Rodrigo R.] Duterte any time soon,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a text message.

CREATE, which will immediately slash the corporate income tax to 25% from 30%, has already been ratified by Congress in February and is already awaiting Mr. Duterte’s signature.

For Mr. Mapa, this may not be enough to boost investor confidence in the Philippines.

“Recent legislation to lower corporate taxes and rationalize fiscal incentives will help but that only assumes that the Philippine economy is back on its feet and that the virus has been quelled or at least contained,” he said.

FDI inflows drop to five-year low in 2020

BIR collection barely exceeds target in Feb.

BIR taxpayers
PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

By Beatrice M. Laforga, Reporter

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected P134.27 billion in revenues in February, barely exceeding its collection goal as economic recovery remains sluggish.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel SD. Guballa told BusinessWorld on Wednesday that the bureau’s tax haul surpassed its P134.18-billion target for the month by 0.07%.

However, BIR collections were 5.58% lower than the P142.21 billion collected in February 2020, before the coronavirus lockdown led to the closure of many businesses and a slump in consumption.

For the first two months of 2021, BIR tax collections reached P316.42 billion, 6.13% lower year on year.

It also fell short of the P317.18-billion year-to-date target by 0.24%.

In a Viber message, Mr. Guballa attributed the dampened tax collections to lower gross domestic product (GDP) against the pre-lockdown levels in the first quarter of 2020.

The government placed Metro Manila and other high-risk areas under a strict lockdown from mid-March to May 2020. While the economy has slowly reopened, some quarantine restrictions remain in place.

A sharp 9.5% drop in GDP last year and limited fiscal space forced the government to slash its projected tax revenues, while driving borrowings to new highs to cover for its massive P4.5- trillion spending plan this year.

The BIR, the largest tax collecting agency, has been tasked to collect P2.081 trillion for 2021, up by 7% from the P1.95-trillion actual collection last year.

The second-largest source of government revenue, the Bureau of Customs, collected P46.145 billion in duties and taxes in February. This exceeded the target by 9.5% and the year-earlier total by 3%.

Customs aims to generate P620 billion this year, up 15% from the actual P537.687 billion in 2020.

The government capped its budget deficit at 8.9% this year, with gross borrowings expected to reach P3 trillion.

Hong Kong-based toy manufacturers mull relocating to Philippines

HONG KONG-BASED toy manufacturers are considering relocation to the Philippines, the Board of Investments (BoI) said on Wednesday.

At the same time, a survey by Standard Chartered found companies based in the United States and Europe are looking at the Philippines as part of its expansion plans in Asia.

The BoI in February met online with representatives of the Toy Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, whose 250 members have operations in Hong Kong and mainland China.

“(The) toy makers’ association acknowledged the rising production costs that their members have been experiencing and, thus, are seriously considering the Philippines for possible relocation and expansion of their operations,” BoI said in a press release on Wednesday.

Despite the pandemic, the toy industry in some countries grew, with sales in the United States rising 16% to $25.1 billion compared with a year earlier. This was due in part to a spike in demand for skateboards and fashion dolls, the NPD group said in a report released in January.

“One major theme in 2020 was the growth of online shopping. Some retail closures and consumer hesitancy towards shopping in stores led to a surge in online toy sales,” the report said.

Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo said that lockdowns declared to contain the coronavirus pandemic has led to a shift to home entertainment and online education, which in turn fueled demand for video games and digital education tools.

“While some traditional toy categories have seen a spike in 2020, the long-term trend is reflected in the strong repositioning of toy industry players as entertainment providers on multiple platforms,” he said.

To attract investors, Mr. Rodolfo touted the country’s reduction of corporate income tax under the recently ratified Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. The Philippines, he added, also has free trade agreements and preferential trade rates with countries like Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and some European countries that can widen Hong Kong export market access.

“Aside from market access, the Philippines can also provide for a broader production network for the manufacture of toys given the existing manufacturers in the Philippines as well as the sources of raw materials that the FTAs (free trade agreements) can provide,” he said.

Several toy manufacturers along with plastics, rubber, cotton, and textile suppliers operate in the Philippines.

The BoI said that 125 toy manufacturing firms registered with the agency since 1989, all of which amount to P450 million in investments. The biggest contribution was Mattel Philippines, Inc.’s P39 million.

Philippine toy exports in 2019 amounted to $171.6 million against $487.3 million in imports, the bulk of which came from China and Hong Kong, BoI said. These exports include traditional toys and video game consoles, but not video game applications and in-game transactions.

FIRMS EYE EXPANSION
Meanwhile, the Philippines is among the top five Southeast Asian markets that European and US companies are considering for expansion over the next six to 12 months, according to a study by Standard Chartered.

“With regulations noted as the number one concern among respondents looking to expand overseas, it could suggest an opportunity for the Philippines to increase foreign investment through greater awareness of the ease of doing business locally,” Standard Chartered said in a statement.

Over 85% of the respondents in the study are already operating, implementing, or considering business activities in Asia.

Across Asian markets, US and EU firms identified Japan (42%) China (36%), Australia (34%), and India (24%) as priority countries for expansion plans.

For European Chamber of the Philippines President Nabil Francis, the Philippines’ main strength is its relatively young, dynamic, and highly literate workforce.

“The Philippines has made some strides in improving ease of doing business as well as opening the market for more foreign investments,” Mr. Nabil said in a Viber message.

However, economists said the Philippines has to make improvements to attract more investments.

“The Philippines as an investment destination has long been in the pipeline of US and EU firms because of its diverse market and the relatively lower labor cost, not to mention the continuous infrastructure development the government is undertaking,” Colegio de San Juan De Letran Graduate School Dean Emmanuel J. Lopez said in an e-mail.

“Despite the pandemic, the Philippines is also a good destination for these companies particularly offshore services because of our unique advantage in trade in services. The Philippines just needs to enhance its infrastructure to harness this opportunity,” Asian Institute of Management economist John Paolo R. Rivera said in a text message. — Jenina P. Ibañez and Luz Wendy T. Noble

SEC online submission tool goes live on March 15

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said corporations and partnerships can submit their annual financial statements (AFS), general information sheet (GIS) and other reports using its online submission tool (OST) starting March 15.

“With the OST, we are one more step closer to achieving our ease-of-doing business and sustainability goals, which have been at the core of our ongoing digital transformation,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said in a statement on Wednesday.

Corporations, partnerships and their authorized representatives should first fill out the online application form for the OST and submit required documents at https://ciffs-ost.sec.gov.ph.

Requirements include a board resolution authorizing a representative to file reports on behalf of the corporation or partnership and an accomplished 2020 GIS form. Law firms or consultancy firms can also sign up as authorized filers, on behalf of their clients.

“All stock corporations, including branch offices, representative offices, regional headquarters, and regional operating headquarters of foreign corporations, will be required to submit their reports using the OST starting this year,” the SEC said.

Nonstock corporations can still choose to submit reports in person this year, but will be required to use the OST by 2022.

Copies of a company’s AFS, GIS, sworn statement for foundation (SSF), general form for financial statements (GFFS), and special form for financial statements (SFFS) may be submitted during the initial run of the OST.

Firms can also submit via the OST the affidavit of non-operation (ANO) with the GIS or AFS, and affidavit of non-holding of annual meeting (ANHAM) with the GIS.

“The online facility will show the required format of the report to be submitted. For instance, a GIS must be submitted as an accomplished but unsigned form saved as a multipage portable document format (PDF) with text layer, as well as a high-resolution scan of the signed and notarized document saved as a multipage PDF,” the SEC said.

All submitted documents will be checked for quality. Filers will receive a QR code once the reports are accepted.

Reports will be available to the public through the Online Submission Portal.

The SEC said it will no longer accept hard copies, as well as submission via e-mail, mail or courier, and drop boxes in SEC offices.

“The OST is equally important in our efforts to automate business transactions to limit face-to-face interactions, and consequently help stem the transmission of COVID-19 and accelerate the country’s recovery from the pandemic,” Mr. Aquino said.

The commission also issued Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2021 on March 9, which details the schedule for the filing of annual reports.

The GIS is required to be submitted within 30 days after a corporation’s annual meeting.

Corporations will need to follow a schedule based on the last digit of their SEC registration or license number for the submission of their AFS. Those with registration numbers ending with 1 should submit the reports within June 1-30; with 2 within July 1-31; those with 3 and 4 from Aug. 1-31; with 5 and 6 within Sept. 1-30; with 7 and 8 within Oct. 1-31; those ending with 9 and 0 within Nov. 1 to 30. 

If a corporation’s AFS is audited by the Commission on Audit (CoA), the company may submit beyond the filing schedule as long as an affidavit and a letter from the state auditor is provided stating the timely submission of financial statements and other documents.

The submission of AFS for companies with fiscal years ending on a date other than Dec. 31 should be done within 120 days from the end of their fiscal year. Meanwhile, public companies and other issuers of securities are given 105 days after their fiscal year to submit their AFS.

Corporations are given 30 days from the deadline of the AFS submission to submit their GFFS and SFFS on the OST.

“The SEC will no longer require the certification under oath, previously prescribed under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 6, Series of 2006,” the commission said. — K.C.G.Valmonte

Petron swings to P11-B loss as revenues fall

LISTED oil company Petron Corp. reported on Wednesday a net loss of P11.4 billion last year, swinging from a net income of P2.3 billion a year earlier, as sales declined due to the pandemic.

In a press release, Petron said that its consolidated revenues last year declined 44% to P286 billion, reflecting the impact of the global health emergency on its financial performance.

“For the whole of 2020, the company’s consolidated sales volume stood at 78.6 million barrels, down 27% from 2019’s 107 million barrels,” the country’s largest oil refining and marketing company said.

During the fourth quarter, however, Petron recorded a consolidated net income of P1.2 billion, which it attributed to “increased volumes and inventory holdings gains” as prices started to rally. The firm posted a P1.63-billion consolidated net income in the third quarter.

But the company noted that refining margins still remained soft in the fourth quarter, which challenged the economic viability of its Philippine operations.

Meanwhile, Petron’s consolidated revenues from October to December hit P69.6 billion, which it said “marked two straight quarters of growth” after the firm’s historic slump in the second quarter due to the pandemic’s impact.

“The last quarter of the year registered a 46% improvement from the P47.7 billion reported in the Q2, Petron’s hardest hit quarter in 2020,” it said.

Ramon S. Ang, Petron president and chief executive officer, said that the firm had been “working hard to minimize the pandemic’s impact on its business.”

“(O)ur performance in the second half of 2020 proves that we are moving in the right direction. We look forward to sustaining our recovery as we anticipate higher demand and a more stable industry situation with an end to this crisis finally in sight,” Mr. Ang said in a statement.

The firm, which also has a strong presence in Malaysia, said that it is now focused on improving its competitiveness.

In its statement, Petron said that its Bataan refinery’s inclusion as a registered enterprise of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) would benefit the company in the paying of value-added taxes, which would be done as products are withdrawn from the refinery.

“We continue to implement various cost saving efforts, but tax efficiency is another critical area that should improve. Our AFAB registration will help make our refining business more competitive and financially viable as soon as demand recovers,” Mr. Ang said.

Petron said that it looks forward to a significant demand recovery in 2021, and it plans to resume its refining operations by the second half of the year.

It announced in December that it was suspending the operations of its 180,000 barrels per day refinery — the sole refining facility in the Philippines — to minimize losses from weak refining margins.

Petron, a unit of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., has a combined refining capacity of 268,000 barrels-per-day and produces a full range of world-class fuels and petrochemicals.

Shares of Petron in the local bourse inched down 0.87% or three centavos to finish at P3.41 apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Singapore firm to invest nearly P12B in AC Energy

ARRAN Investment will subscribe to four billion primary shares through a private placement at P2.97 apiece. — ACENERGY.COM.PH

AN AFFILIATE of Singapore firm GIC Pte. Ltd. will be investing P11.88 billion in AC Energy Corp. (ACEN) for a 17.5% ownership stake in the local firm, the Ayala-led company said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

ACEN said that Arran Investment Pte. Ltd. would be subscribing to four billion primary shares through a private placement at P2.97 apiece.

The investment is subject to two pre-closing conditions, namely: ACEN’s completion of its stock rights offering of 2.27 billion shares at P2.37 apiece; and the issuance by the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia — or his delegate — of a notice of no objection under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 with respect to Arran and the AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp. (ACEIC) “international transaction.”

The investment agreement between ACEN and the latter’s parent firm ACEIC was inked with Arran on Dec. 30.

ACEN said that Arran had a “put option” to sell to ACEIC all of its subscription shares and top-up shares, if any of the following occur: the required shareholder approval for the listing of Arran’s subscription shares is not obtained by June 30; the deed of assignment between ACEN and ACEIC is not executed by Dec. 31; and if the approval of ACEN’s minority shareholders of ACEIC’s international transaction is not obtained, but only if needed by the local bourse.

The GIC affiliate’s private placement of P11.88 billion is one of the five steps in ACEN’s corporate restructuring, according to its President and Chief Executive Officer Eric T. Francia during a media briefing in November.

In a separate disclosure on Wednesday, ACEIC’s parent firm Ayala Corp. said that its board of directors had approved the firm’s issuance of fixed rate bonds with the aggregate amount of up to P6 billion with an oversubscription option of up to an additional P4 billion.

The bonds would make up the first tranche Ayala Corp.’s P30 billion shelf registration program, which was earlier approved by the board, and it will be subsequently filed with the corporate regulator.

Shares of Ayala Corp. in the Philippine Stock Exchange were unchanged at P779 apiece on Wednesday. Meanwhile, shares of ACEN improved 4.12% or 0.27 centavos to finish at P6.82 apiece. — Angelica Y. Yang

Cebu Landmasters enters dormitory business

REAL ESTATE developer Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) entered a joint venture worth P360 million with Terre D’Or Realty Corp. to develop a co-living space project named Sugbu Prime Estate, Inc. in Cebu.

CLI is entering the dormitory business after seeing a demand for shared spaces by young professionals and students.

“We have long wanted to do a co-living or dormitory project to cater to Cebu’s workers and were thus excited to explore this opportunity with the Farrarons,” CLI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jose R. Soberano III said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Farrarons family, which is behind Terre D’Or Realty, owns two hotels and a mall in Cebu City.

“Both our families believe this venture will contribute to the growth of Cebu and improve quality of living, especially for those seeking secure affordable housing near prime business areas,” he added.

The project will start with a 7,500 square meter property in Banilad, which is walking distance from Cebu IT Park. It is also near Cebu Business Park and is a ride away from the University of Cebu-Banilad, the University of Southern Philippines, and the University of San Carlos in Talamban.

A self-storage facility will be included in the property, with CLI citing a market study that forecast the demand for warehousing. The real estate developer said it would be useful for businesses doing e-commerce and home owners looking for extra spaces.

The mixed-use property will also feature retail spaces and more than 300 dormitory rooms.

“The project to be completed by the end of 2022 primarily targets young professionals and students returning to work and schools, respectively, and requiring comfortable home-away-from-home secure quarters that would spare them from the health threats and inconveniences of commuting,” the company said.

CLI expects the project to be a success as it projects a growth of outsourcing firms opening in Cebu. The co-living venture is the real estate developer’s latest move to diversify its portfolio, which already includes residential developments and hotels.

The company said it would disclose hotel partnerships for 307 rooms in the coming months. The company aims to roll out nearly 1,450 hotel rooms in the Visayas and Mindanao regions by 2024.

CLI shares at the stock exchange closed at P5.27 on Wednesday, going up by 0.38% from P5.25. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Filinvest Land unit to sell 1.63-B common shares

FILINVEST Land, Inc. (FLI) will sell around 1.63 billion common shares in subsidiary Cyberzone Properties, Inc. through a secondary offer worth P8.30 per share.

The FLI board of directors approved the initial public offering of the unit in a meeting on Tuesday, March 9.

The company is expected to submit requirements to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Cyberzone Properties will also have to adhere to the revised implementing rules and regulations of the REIT Act of 2009.

The secondary offer of 1.63 billion common shares covers a third of Cyberzone Properties’ outstanding capital stock.

The real estate company previously increased its authorized capital stock to P7.13 billion, which was then divided into 14.26 billion common shares with a par value of P0.5 apiece.

An over-allotment option granted by FLI will also wait for the market regulators’ approval.

With the same terms of the secondary offer shares, a stabilizing agent or affiliate may collect up to 163.08 million common shares of Cyberzone Properties owned by FLI. These will be considered the option shares.

The board of directors assigned management to set the terms and conditions of the offer. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

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