PLDT(PHI) - 2024 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript
PLDTPLDT(US:PHI)2025-02-27 20:31

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Service revenue grew 2% year-on-year to PHP 194.7 billion driven by Fiber Mobile data and Enterprise ICT [9] - Gross revenue rose by 3% to PHP 208.4 billion [9] - EBITDA expanded by 4% to PHP 108.5 billion, with an EBITDA margin of 52% [10][19] - Telco Core income increased by 2% to PHP 35.1 billion, reinforcing earnings stability [10][19] - Reported income surged 21% to PHP 32.3 billion, up PHP 5.7 billion year-on-year [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Individual segment revenues rose by 2% to PHP 83.5 billion, with Mobile Data up by 5% [12] - Home revenues hit PHP 60.7 billion, with Fiber-only revenues growing by 6% to PHP 56 billion [14] - Enterprise revenues grew 3% to PHP 48.4 billion, with ICT services up 15% to PHP 35 billion [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Active data users reached 41.3 million, with average monthly mobile data usage per user growing by 5% [12] - PLDT's ARPU of PHP 1,488 remains at a premium to the industry [15] - Maya Bank's customer base grew 71% year-on-year to 5.4 million [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Focus on expanding revenues, managing costs, and improving cash flow generation in 2025 [10] - Strategic investments in network leadership, AI-driven marketing, and digital transformation [36] - Commitment to sustainability with a target of running data centers on at least 40% renewable energy by 2030 [72] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining profitability amid competitive pressures [10] - Anticipated continued growth in mobile data and enterprise ICT segments [36] - Plans to enhance customer experience and retention through improved service and innovative offerings [92] Other Important Information - CapEx for 2024 totaled PHP 78.2 billion, with guidance for 2025 between PHP 68 billion and PHP 73 billion [21][22] - Net debt-to-EBITDA currently stands at 2.52 times, with a target to reduce it to 2.0 times in the mid-term [23] - PLDT retained investment-grade ratings from S&P and Moody's [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is PLDT's stand on the Konektadong Pinoy Act? - PLDT supports the government's effort to provide open access and requests equal treatment with data transmission providers [79][81] Question: What initiatives are driving customer retention in the Home segment? - PLDT Home focuses on competitive offers, increasing speeds, and improving service to maintain a low churn rate of 1.7% [92] Question: Can you clarify the 11% increase in Fixed Line from 2023 to 2024? - The increase is attributed to bundled products, with voice services growing as part of these bundles [115] Question: Any preliminary guidance for 2025? - Management is not comfortable providing specific guidance for core income for 2025 but expects increases in revenues and profitability [123] Question: Why did PLDT see subscriber losses on prepaid in the fourth quarter? - The losses were due to a year-end cleanup of subscribers [127] Question: What has demand been like for GPU-as-a-Service? - Demand is growing, and PLDT is in discussions with enterprises to explore use cases for this service [133]