Property giant Megaworld Corp. is giving shareholders a bigger slice of its growing earnings, declaring a record cash dividend of P0.11733697 per share, 25 percent higher than the P0.09395845 paid in August 2025.
The dividend, totaling P3.8 billion, translates into a 5.2 percent yield based on Megaworld’s P2.27 closing price on Aug. 11. It will be paid on Sept. 9 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 27.
The latest increase extends a three-year streak of higher dividends, with payouts compounding by 22 percent annually. The 2026 dividend represents 18 percent of Megaworld’s 2025 net income attributable to the parent of P21 billion, up from a 16 percent payout a year earlier.
That combination of rising profits and a gradually higher payout ratio is increasingly important for investors. Megaworld is not simply distributing more because it can. Its expanding recurring-income businesses are providing greater visibility over cash flows, giving the company more confidence to increase shareholder returns while continuing to fund expansion.
The balance sheet is helping, too. Megaworld ended June with P22.8 billion in cash, up from P20.8 billion at the end of 2025. Its net debt-to-equity ratio improved to 0.24 times from 0.27 times, marking a second consecutive year of deleveraging.
That leaves Megaworld with room to pursue capital expenditures without putting shareholder distributions on a collision course with balance-sheet discipline.
“This record dividend reflects Megaworld’s continued growth and our commitment to share more of the value we create with our shareholders,” Chief Financial Officer Francisco C. Canuto said.
The company is targeting 2 million square meters of office gross leasable area and 1 million square meters of retail space by 2030, for a combined leasing footprint of 3 million square meters.
For investors, the message is becoming clearer. Megaworld is trying to make its growing property empire pay twice, through expansion today and a steadily fatter dividend tomorrow.
