Manila, 1st April 2022 –   PLDT Inc. (PLDT) (PSE: TEL) (NYSE: PHI), the Philippines’ largest fully integrated telecommunications and digital services company, is included in the recently launched PSE Dividend Yield Index (PSE DivY). Out of 20 companies included in the PSE DivY, PLDT shares the top position with a weight of 10%, similar to those of Metrobank and ICTSI.

The PSE DivY focuses on companies that consistently give high-yielding dividends, with the selection criteria including liquidity, free float, financials and the company’s three-year average dividend yield performance. According to the PSE, the index selection criteria and methodology were benchmarked against peer exchanges such as Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

PLDT has consistently paid out dividends from its annual earnings, in line with its dividend policy of 60% payout on telco core income. For 2021 earnings of P30.2 billion or P140 per share, dividends of P84 per share were declared. This translates to a yield of 5% based on PLDT’s year-end closing share price of P1,812.

“We are very pleased to be included in the PSE DivY. This affirms PLDT’s balanced approach to capital management, where we continue to provide consistent returns to our shareholders even as we manage our investment in capex and keep our leverage at prudent levels,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, President and CEO.

The PSE DivY is one of two indices that the PSE launched on 28th March 2022, the other being the PSE MidCap Index. The PSE explained that the new indices aim to “provide investors additional tools to track market performance, offer alternative indices that may be used as a benchmark for new exchange traded funds or investment funds, and generate additional liquidity for non-PSEi securities.”