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A List of 14 Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines

When starting to invest, you can opt to purchase stocks from blue chip companies in the Philippines. But what are they exactly? Read through this article to find out more about them.

If you want to invest as an expat or high-net-worth individual, which is what i specialize in, you can email me (advice@adamfayed.com) or use WhatsApp (+44-7393-450-837).

Introduction

The number of companies listed on the Philippine stock exchange can get overwhelming. There are more than 200 companies across various sectors that you can become a part-owner of. If you don’t have enough money to invest in all of them (which you shouldn’t really do in the first place), then choosing blue chip companies in the Philippines can be a good starting point.

Why are they Called Blue Chip Companies?

The term “blue chip” has its origins in the game of poker. Many poker chip sets have the colors white, red, and blue in them. Among those three colors, blue chips are worth the most.

In relation to this, blue chip companies are regarded as such because they are well-known and well- established. They have historically performed well financially through the ups and downs of the stock market. Given the volatility of the market, investing in something reliable can help you sleep a bit better at night.

At the same time, many of them pay dividends to shareholders. Apart from the capital gains that you enjoy from the stocks themselves, you can also earn cash or more stocks as dividends.   

What are the Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines?

We have listed 14 different blue chip companies in the Philippines across five sectors. But before we start, we’ll define a few terms that you will come across in this article. 

  • Stock Code: an abbreviation through which a specific stock is identified in the Philippine stock market   
  • Board Lot: the minimum number of shares that an investor can buy or sell
  • 52-Week High: the highest price at which the stock was traded in a given year
  • 52-Week Low: the lowest price at which the stock was traded in a given year 

To get an idea of how much you would need to invest in a blue-chip stock, you just need to multiply the board lot by the average price per share. With this, you’ll get the minimum amount required to buy shares.

It is also important to note that the prices mentioned in this article are as of the date of writing. They may change from time to time. Because of this, specific prices can be obtained on the day that you buy or sell stocks.

Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines Under the Holding Firms Sector

1. Ayala Corporation

Ayala Corporation was established in 1834. It is a conglomerate that has under its umbrella around 27 subsidiaries. These are scattered across different sectors such as real estate, banking, telecommunications, healthcare, industrial technologies, and energy generation, to name a few.    

blue-chip companies in the Philippines: Ayala Corporation
Financial Performance of Ayala Corporation in 2020

The core value drivers of Ayala Corporation are the following: Ayala Land, Inc. (47.4%); Bank of the Philippine Islands (46.6%); Globe Telecom, Inc. (30.9%); and AC Energy and Infrastructure Corporation (65%). 

By the end of 2020, Ayala Corporation accounted for 6% of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Composite Index’s market capitalization.

Ayala Corporation gives out dividends to its shareholders. In particular, a regular fixed semi-annual cash dividend is distributed to investors with common shares.

Stock Code: ACAverage Price: PHP 773.85
Board Lot: 10 52-Week High: PHP 915.00
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 690.50

2. Metro Pacific Investments

Metro Pacific Investments (MPI) is an investment management and holding company established in 2006. They have a diversified portfolio that includes operating companies from various sectors. 

The segments of the company are organized in relation to the services and products they conduct business in. This includes power, toll operations, water, healthcare, rail, logistics, and others. Many, if not all, of the operating companies they have are household names in the Philippines. Some of which are MERALCO, North Luzon Expressway, De Los Santos Medical Center, and La Mesa Treatment Plan.

MPI is not just involved nationally. They also have investments and operations in other countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

They distribute cash dividends to their shareholders. 

Stock Code: MPI Average Price: PHP 3.89
Board Lot: 1,000  52-Week High: PHP 4.18
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 3.49

3. SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) was founded in 1958 and officially incorporated in 1960. What started as a simple shoe store in Manila has grown into one of the largest holding companies in the country. 

As a leading conglomerate in the Philippines, it has major investments in the sectors of retail, banking, and property. Its three largest companies already contribute more than 30% of the value of the Philippine stock market index. Specifically, these include SMIC, SM Prime Holdings, and BDO Unibank.  

Shares of SMIC were offered to the general public in March 2005. Since then, they have been distributing 30% of their net income as dividends to their shareholders. This is paid out annually. 

Stock Code: SMAverage Price: PHP 859.69
Board Lot: 10 52-Week High: PHP 1,041.00
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 843.00

Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines Under the Property Sector

4. Ayala Land, Inc. 

Ayala Land was established in 1988. A few years later, in 1991, the company was listed on the now unified Manila and Makati Stock Exchanges. Since then, it has become the leading real estate and property developer in the Philippines.

They have developed estates in Metro Manila and Luzon. Apart from that, they also have eco-tourism estates in El Nido, Palawan, and Sicogon Island.

Lio Beach el Nido
Lio Beach, located in El Nido, Palawan, is the first tourism estate of Ayala Land.

Furthermore, Ayala Land residential condominiums and homes, corporate centers, co-working facilities, shopping districts, hotels, and resorts are found throughout the three island groups of the country, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

Stock Code: ALIAverage Price: PHP 34.22
Board Lot: 100  52-Week High: PHP 39.80
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 31.00

5. SM Prime Holdings, Inc. 

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPH) was incorporated in 1994. At that time, they were mostly involved in developing and operating malls. However, over the span of a few years, they established themselves as the biggest developer and operator of retail shopping centers in the country.

Furthermore, they have expanded their activities to residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers. This makes them one of the major integrated property developers not just within the Philippines, but in Southeast Asia as well. 

Today, SMPH has 79 malls in the Philippines and 7 shopping malls in China.

SMPH distributes dividends to its shareholders. However, this is dependent on the business environment and planned expansion programs at the time.

Stock Code: SMPHAverage Price: PHP 37.39
Board Lot: 100 52-Week High: PHP 40.05
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 31.45

Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines Under the Industrial Sector

6. Aboitiz Power Corporation

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP) was officially incorporated on February 13, 1998. At that time, it became the holding company of the Aboitiz Group for all business activities and investments related to energy resources.

They are involved in power generation, the distribution of electricity to retail consumers, and renewable energy.

Mekong Wind
AboitizPower acquired Mekong Wind, which is a wind power facility in Vietnam.

Furthermore, they are the largest provider of renewable energy in the country. They plan to continue promoting efforts geared towards cleaner energy in the years to come. This is in line with the global movement.  

Shares of common stocks from AboitizPower were listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007. 

They have a cash dividend policy that involves distributing around one-half of the corporation’s net income from the previous fiscal year. 

Stock Code: APAverage Price: PHP 35.25
Board Lot: 100 52-Week High: PHP 37.45
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 20.50 

7. Jollibee Foods Corporation

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) was established in 1978. Their main business activities are geared towards quick service restaurants (QSRs), in which they develop, operate, and franchise them. There are 17 food brands under the corporation, such as Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Red Ribbon, to name a few.

They have established 1,184 Jollibee stores in the Philippines by 2020. 711 of them were franchised, while 473 were owned by the company itself. But they do not just operate in the country. They also have 294 stores scattered across the globe, such as in the countries of the USA, Canada, Guam, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and those in Asia.

JFC distributes regular cash dividend payments. This is obtained from the unrestricted retained earnings of the corporation.

Stock Code: JFC Average Price: PHP 222.65
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 259.80
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 163.30

8. Universal Robina Corporation

Universal Robina Corporation (URC) was established in 1954. At that time, it was called Universal Corn Products, Inc. It started as a corn milling plant that produced glucose and cornstarch.

But Mr. John Gokongwei, Jr., the founder of URC, had bigger dreams. He intended to become the first local multinational company in the Philippines. As a result of his efforts, the Consolidated Food Corporation came into being in 1961. They offered the first coffee blend produced in the Philippines, Blend 45, which surpassed its competitors.

A few years later, Universal Robina Corporation was established in 1966. Adding to their portfolio of products were snacks that are most favored by Filipinos until now. This includes Chiz Curls, Chippy, Piattos, and Maxx.

URC
Bottled tea, chips, and cup noodles are some of the products of URC.

Today, the different companies are organized into three focused groups, which are as follows: the Branded Consumer Food Group, the Agro-Industrial Group, and the Commodities Group.

At the same time, URC does not just operate in the Philippines. They have also established themselves in Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia over the past few years. 

They issue cash dividends to their shareholders. On March 4, 2022, they declared a cash dividend of PHP 3.45 per share.

Stock Code: URCAverage Price: PHP 117.13
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 150.80
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 0.0000

Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines Under the Financials Sector

9. BDO Unibank, Inc.

BDO (Banco De Oro) Unibank, Inc. is a full-service universal bank in the Philippines. They have different products and services such as, but not limited to, savings accounts, credit and debit cards, loans, trusts and investments, and insurance. These cater to both the general public and businesses alike.

With more than 1,500 operating branches and offices and more than 4,400 ATMs across the country, BDO has the largest distribution network. But they also operate outside of the Philippines. They have 16 international offices, which are established in Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

BDO is the largest bank in the Philippines based on the following factors: consolidated resources, customer loans, deposits, assets under management and capital, branches, and ATM network. This was as of September 30th, last year.

They do not adopt a fixed dividend policy. This means that the distribution of dividends depends on the annual evaluation of the Board of Directors. However, they have previously declared 25% to 35% of the net income earned the year prior as cash dividends.

Stock Code: BDOAverage Price: PHP 131.73 
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 140.40 
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 98.50

10. Bank of the Philippine Islands

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) was established in 1851, making it the first bank in Southeast Asia. Since then, they have been providing quality and trusted financial services to individual citizens and businesses.

They offer consumer banking services, loans, asset management, securities brokerage and distribution, and foreign exchange, among others.

It has a network composed of more than 1,176 branches inside and outside the Philippines, such as Hong Kong and Europe. Around 3,000 ATMs and cash accept machines (CAM) are also easily available. 

BPI
BPI is the first bank in Southeast Asia.

In 2021, they were awarded the Best Sustainable Bank in the Philippines by FinanceAsia Country. That is just one of the many more recognitions that they have received by local and international institutions over the years. 

BPI is considered one of the benchmarks of the Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index (PSEi).

Dividends are regularly distributed to shareholders of BPI. When needed, this practice is subject to evaluation in relation to capital needs and growth targets of the institution. A total of PHP 8.12 billion in dividends were paid by BPI in 2020. This means that 28.2% of its net income was paid in dividends. 

Stock Code: BPIAverage Price: PHP 99.15
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 104.00
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 79.75

11. Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company

Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company, commonly known as Metrobank, was established in 1962. A couple of years later, it was officially listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1981. Currently, 48% of the company is publicly owned. 

Over the decades, Metrobank has become one of the leading financial institutions in the country. It has a product portfolio suited for the different needs of individual customers and businesses. They offer investment banking, thrift banking, leasing, financing, insurance, and credit cards. 

Their network in the Philippines is composed of more than 950 branches, 170 cash-accept machines (CAMs), and 2,300 ATMs. 

However, they also operate internationally. Metrobank has been at the forefront of establishing Philippine banks in countries such as Korea and China. Today, they have over 30 branches, subsidiaries, and offices worldwide.

Last year, Metrobank experienced a 60% increase in their net income. With this positive performance, the Board of Directors declared an increase in the regular cash dividends distributed semi-annually to shareholders. From PHP 1.00, it increased to PHP 1.60 for the year.

Stock Code: MBT Average Price: PHP 54.48
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 63.50
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 43.00

Blue Chip Companies in the Philippines Under the Services Sector

12. International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) develops and operates container port facilities and terminals. They were established in December 1987. 

As is obvious from its name, ICTSI does not just conduct business activities in the Philippines. Rather, they also operate on six continents across the world.

In the Philippines, they have 11 terminals and port services throughout Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Davao, South Cotabato, Misamis Oriental, and Subic Bay. They also have terminals in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. In total, they have worked on 34 terminals in 20 countries worldwide. 

Victoria International Container Terminal VICT
The Victoria International Container Terminal in Australia.

Apart from that, they were the first company to develop the first fully automated international container handling facility in the world. This was initiated in Melbourne, Australia, at the Victoria International Container Terminal.

Dividends are distributed from the unrestricted retained earnings and available cash of ICTSI. They declare dividends only upon the issuance of a board resolution. However, over the past 16 years, common stockholders have received annual dividends.

Stock Code: ICTAverage Price: PHP 223.20
Board Lot: 10  52-Week High: PHP 236.60
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 126.20

13. PLDT Inc. 

PLDT Inc. was incorporated in November 1928 after four US-owned telephone companies merged. It was formerly known as Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. 

They are an integrated telecommunications service provider that is involved in wireless and fixed line, among other business activities. You’ve most likely heard of the products and services that they offer. These include Smart, TNT, Sun Cellular, PLDT Home, and PLDT Enterprise. Voyager Innovations, Inc., one of PLDT’s direct subsidiaries, is also in charge of different digital platforms, such as Paymaya.

Common shares of PLDT Inc. are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. On the other hand, its American Depositary Shares can be found on the New York Stock Exchange. 

They issue cash dividends to investors with common shares. In 2016, their regular dividend payout rate was reduced from 75% to 60% of their core earnings per share (EPS). 

Stock Code: TEL Average Price: PHP 1,897.11
Board Lot: 5  52-Week High: PHP 1,950.00
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 1,223.00

14. Globe Telecom, Inc. 

Globe Telecom, Inc. has been in the industry for around a decade short of a hundred years. It was incorporated in January 1935 as Globe Wireless Limited. At that time, it operated as a wireless long distance messaging service in the country. 

However, 1992 was a year where it welcomed a couple of major changes. This included changing to its current name, Globe Telecom, Inc., and, a year later, partnering with Singapore Telecom, Inc.

globe
The services of Globe are widely used in the country.

Currently, Globe offers digital wireless communication services in the Philippines. They have different postpaid and prepaid plans that suit different budgets and lifestyles. Millions of individuals continue to avail their services. There are 76.6 million subscribers to their mobile services, 3.8 million subscribers to their home broadband product, and 1.6 million subscribers to their landline service.

60% to 75% of the core net income of Globe from the year before is distributed as dividends to shareholders. The dividends come in the form of cash or additional shares of stock.

Stock Code: GLO Average Price: PHP 2,471.18
Board Lot: 5  52-Week High: PHP 3,670.00
Open to Foreigners: Yes52-Week Low: PHP 1,796.00

Conclusion

With this, we have discussed 14 different blue chip companies in the Philippines. Buying blue-chip stocks may come with a higher minimum amount compared to other forms of investments. Based on the numbers above, your initial investment can reach at least PHP 5,000 ($95.43 USD) to start trading. However, because of their financial performance and distribution of dividends, investing in them can temper the hesitations that come with the risks of stocks.

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Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters, with over 754.2 million answer views on Quora.com, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.

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