PLDT Inc. Plans Semi-annual Dividend of $0.81 (NYSE:PHI)

PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI - Get Free Report) announced a semi-annual dividend on Thursday, February 27th, NASDAQ Dividends reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th will be paid a dividend of 0.812 per share by the technology company on Thursday, April 17th. This represents a yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 12th.

PLDT has increased its dividend payment by an average of 1.2% annually over the last three years. PLDT has a payout ratio of 52.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect PLDT to earn $2.99 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.62 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 54.2%.

PLDT Stock Up 3.8 %

Shares of PLDT stock traded up $0.90 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $24.43. The company's stock had a trading volume of 59,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,746. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.06, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.68. PLDT has a 1-year low of $21.00 and a 1-year high of $30.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.18.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded PLDT from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th.

PLDT Company Profile

PLDT Inc provides telecommunications and digital services in the Philippines. The company operates through three segments: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Others. It offers cellular mobile, Internet broadband distribution, operations support, software development, and satellite information and messaging services; and sells Wi-Fi access equipment.