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PLDT Inc (PHI) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Resilient Revenue Growth Amid Market Challenges

PLDT Inc (PHI) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Resilient Revenue Growth Amid Market Challenges

Yahoo16-05-2025

Release Date: May 15, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
PLDT Inc (NYSE:PHI) reported a 2% increase in revenue, reaching 53.4 billion, driven by strong performance in fiber and ICT segments.
The company's EBITDA grew by 2% to 27.9 billion, showcasing effective cost management and a resilient revenue base.
Maya, PLDT's fintech arm, turned profitable this quarter, contributing positively to the core income.
The shift from legacy to fiber is progressing well, with fiber now representing 97% of total home revenues.
PLDT's new hyperscale data center, Vitro Santa Rosa, enhances its competitive edge in the digital infrastructure landscape.
Telco core income decreased by 6% year on year, mainly due to increased depreciation from network expansion.
Mobile revenues declined slightly to 21.3 billion, affected by lower packet Wi-Fi usage and adjustments in prepaid packages.
The enterprise segment faced challenges due to the shutdown of POGO operations, impacting connectivity revenues.
Depreciation and financing costs are expected to remain at current levels, potentially affecting future profitability.
PLDT is unable to provide net income guidance for 2025 due to the fluid market environment.
Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with PHI.
Q: On the enterprise segment, you've mentioned pogo revenue pressures in the first quarter. Is this expected to continue, or should we see enterprise accelerating in the following quarters? A: (Unidentified_5) POGOs were shut down in July last year, and we anticipate some continued impact until about Q3. However, our programs have helped maintain flat performance and make up for revenue gaps.
Q: Can you provide details on the take-up levels for the new capacities at Vitro Santa Rosa? Have you signed anchor tenants? A: (Unidentified_6) We have landed a major hyperscale customer using 4 megawatts of capacity. There is significant interest from Western and Chinese hyperscalers, and ongoing discussions with enterprises to fill up the capacity.
Q: Regarding Maya, where do you see the profit momentum for the rest of the year? A: (Unidentified_7) We have been reducing losses and are now profitable. We expect a steady and gradual improvement in margins and profitability as we scale, rather than a rapid increase.
Q: What are your thoughts on the mobile business for the second quarter, given the challenges in the first quarter? A: (Unidentified_8) While the market has softened, we continue to see year-on-year growth in traffic, which gives us confidence in monetizing demand. We focus on innovations and best-in-class network and customer experience.
Q: Can you comment on the potential enterprise revenue uplift from Vitro Santa Rosa once fully operational, and do you recognize revenues from current AI workloads? A: (Unidentified_6) Vitro Santa Rosa is energized with an anchor tenant taking 4 megawatts. We are AI-ready with live workloads and plan to launch GPU as a service to make AI accessible to enterprises in the Philippines.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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Gemini's IPO Filing Signals Crypto Market Maturation
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Gemini's IPO Filing Signals Crypto Market Maturation

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Trump tariffs live updates: Trump says he will set unilateral tariff rates within weeks
Trump tariffs live updates: Trump says he will set unilateral tariff rates within weeks

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Trump tariffs live updates: Trump says he will set unilateral tariff rates within weeks

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he would send letters to trading partners in the next week or two setting unilateral tariff rates. 'At a certain point, we're just going to send letters out. And I think you understand that, saying this is the deal, you can take it or leave it,' the president said at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Soon after introducing steep new tariffs that roiled markets, Trump instituted a pause on his most punishing duties that expires July 9. His latest comment, however, only muddies the waters about what could happen next as the deadline approaches. Earlier on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congress that it is "highly likely" that the tariff pause would be extended for countries that are negotiating with the administration "in good faith." 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The Treasury Department says that the US government is successfully using tariffs to decrease the budget deficit by more than $30 billion, largely due to increased customs receipts. Reuters reports: Read more here. China will ease curbs on exports of rare earth minerals for six months as part of a new trade understanding with the US, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move could add more uncertainty for American manufacturers, particularly the auto industry, which has been pushing for easier access. The Journal notes that the move gives China leverage down the line if tensions ratchet back up. From the report: In celebrating the agreement early Wednesday, President Trump noted "any necessary rare earths will be supplied, up front, by China." He did not mention any time limit on loosening those restrictions. 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Trump posted on social media this morning that the US has imposed 55% tariffs on China, a number that does not include any new tariffs but instead comprises some preexisting tariffs, Trump's fentanyl tariffs, and 10% "Liberation Day" tariffs. Lutnick touted that, as a result of the two-day talks, the US will gain access to rare earths and magnets, while the Chinese delegation sought to remove the US's export controls. He added that the trade deficit remains an ongoing issue, stating, "We're going to examine how China can do more business with us." May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed inflation pressures eased on a monthly basis despite investor concerns that President Trump's tariffs would accelerate the pace of price increases. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.1% on a monthly basis in May and 2.4% on an annual basis, a slight uptick from April's 2.3% gain. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. I would keep an eye on consumer names off the news of a trade deal with China floated by President Trump this morning (see our prior post below). Seeing upticks premarket in heavily China-exposed retailers such as Nike (NKE), Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF). The premarket gains here aren't mind-blowing in part because tariffs appear to still be in place. Trump posted on Truth Social: OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" A variety of market observers quickly weighed in hours after Tuesday evening's unveiling to suggest that the deal may not have a lot of meat on the bones — but at least relations are no longer moving in the wrong direction. The talks perhaps underscored how unlikely a comprehensive trade deal is anytime soon, noted AGF Investments Greg Valliere, "but at least relations may not worsen as talks continue throughout the summer." Both sides promised additional talks in the weeks or months ahead, but none have yet been scheduled. Veronique de Rugy, a professor at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, suggested the talks continued to show China's leverage. "China is hurting, yes—but they still hold the upper hand on critical resources, and they know how to use them." Any lessening of tensions — and freer flow — of these mineral resources in China would be a significant boost to the global economy with China holding outsized leverage in both the reserves and processing capacity of these key building blocks for everything from computers to electric vehicle batteries to medical devices. Likewise, the US offering concessions on export controls would be a significant move after years where successive US administrations have wielded these controls — especially around the design and manufacture of semiconductors — by saying they need to be tight on China for national security reasons. Read more here. May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report will be released on Wednesday and its expected to show that prices rose a bit faster than in April. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal breaks down what to look out for and how President Trump's tariffs are impacting what consumers are now paying for goods and services. Read more here. Now that the US-China trade truce is back on track, both sides are keen to ensure it stays that way. China's Vice Premier He Lifeng said both sides need to now 'show the spirit of good faith in abiding by their commitments and jointly safeguard the hard-won results of the dialogue.' Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Despite the US-China trade truce resuming the pain from President Trump's tariffs remains in China, especially among small exporters. Reuters reports: Read more here. Japan warned Wednesday that tariffs threaten its economic growth, the government said in a monthly report. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. A federal appeals could said on Tuesday that President Trump's sweeping tariffs can continue for now. This is a significant win for Trump, who introduced tariffs back in March and declared "Liberation Day," as he saw them as a way to free the US from what he called unfair trade practices. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Early summer sales for Inditex, the owner of fashion retailer Zara, came in weaker, as the company missed expectations for first quarter sales on Wednesday. President Trump's tariffs have impacted consumer demand in the US and other major markets. Reuters reports: Read more here. After weeks of back and forth, the US and China have agreed on a framework to implement the Geneva consensus that helped ease tariffs. The breakthrough came after two days of talks in London, including a marathon session on Tuesday. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said both sides had to "get the negativity out" before making progress. 'Now we can go forward to try to do positive trade, growing trade,' he said. As part of the deal, Beijing has promised to speed up shipments of rare earth metals, a crucial component for global auto and defense industries. Washington will ease export controls. This marks the first sign of movement on key issues. The proposal will now be presented to President Trump and China's Xi. Still, the discussions also did little to resolve a long-standing issue: China's trade surplus with the US. 'Markets will likely welcome the shift from confrontation to coordination,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Markets. 'We're not out of the woods yet — it's up to Trump and Xi to approve and enforce the deal.' The meeting was set up after a phone call between the two leaders, following weeks of each side accusing the other of breaking the Geneva commitments. Both countries had used chips, rare earths, student visas and ethane as bargaining tools. Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor at East China Normal University, said trust, not money, has been the biggest casualty of the trade war. 'We've heard a lot about frameworks,' he said. 'But the fundamental issue remains: Chips versus rare earths. Everything else is a peacock dance.' Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told House lawmakers on Wednesday that the Trump administration may extend the 90-day tariff pause on some countries in order to continue trade negotiations. When asked if Americans should prepare for another "Liberation Day" on July 9, when the tariff pause ends for most countries, Bessent said that the administration may choose to move the deadline on 18 of the most important trading partners, so long as they make an effort to come to the negotiating table. "We are working toward deals on those, and it is highly likely that [for] those countries — or trading blocs, in the case of the EU — who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the day forward to continue good faith negotiations," Bessent said (see video below). "If someone is not negotiating, then we will not." A recent report on the drastic decline of US ocean imports serves as an example of how President Trump's increased tariffs on China affected supply chains and several industries as ttalks continue. Reuters reports: Read more here. The Treasury Department says that the US government is successfully using tariffs to decrease the budget deficit by more than $30 billion, largely due to increased customs receipts. Reuters reports: Read more here. China will ease curbs on exports of rare earth minerals for six months as part of a new trade understanding with the US, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move could add more uncertainty for American manufacturers, particularly the auto industry, which has been pushing for easier access. The Journal notes that the move gives China leverage down the line if tensions ratchet back up. From the report: In celebrating the agreement early Wednesday, President Trump noted "any necessary rare earths will be supplied, up front, by China." He did not mention any time limit on loosening those restrictions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in testimony before Congress on Wednesday, painted Wednesday's agreement as an incremental step on the longer road to a more comprehensive trade deal. "A trade deal today or last night was for a specific goal, and it will be a much longer process," he told a House committee. When asked if current US tariff levels on Chinese imports would not change again, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC, "You can definitely say that." "We're in a great place with China," Lutnick said Wednesday. While the US-China truce framework is awaiting final word from US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lutnick added, "Both sides are really positive." The agreement is largely viewed as reestablishing the "handshake" that US and Chinese officials reached in Geneva last month, as details on a larger trade pact remain scant. Trump posted on social media this morning that the US has imposed 55% tariffs on China, a number that does not include any new tariffs but instead comprises some preexisting tariffs, Trump's fentanyl tariffs, and 10% "Liberation Day" tariffs. Lutnick touted that, as a result of the two-day talks, the US will gain access to rare earths and magnets, while the Chinese delegation sought to remove the US's export controls. He added that the trade deficit remains an ongoing issue, stating, "We're going to examine how China can do more business with us." May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed inflation pressures eased on a monthly basis despite investor concerns that President Trump's tariffs would accelerate the pace of price increases. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.1% on a monthly basis in May and 2.4% on an annual basis, a slight uptick from April's 2.3% gain. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. I would keep an eye on consumer names off the news of a trade deal with China floated by President Trump this morning (see our prior post below). Seeing upticks premarket in heavily China-exposed retailers such as Nike (NKE), Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF). The premarket gains here aren't mind-blowing in part because tariffs appear to still be in place. Trump posted on Truth Social: OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" A variety of market observers quickly weighed in hours after Tuesday evening's unveiling to suggest that the deal may not have a lot of meat on the bones — but at least relations are no longer moving in the wrong direction. The talks perhaps underscored how unlikely a comprehensive trade deal is anytime soon, noted AGF Investments Greg Valliere, "but at least relations may not worsen as talks continue throughout the summer." Both sides promised additional talks in the weeks or months ahead, but none have yet been scheduled. Veronique de Rugy, a professor at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, suggested the talks continued to show China's leverage. "China is hurting, yes—but they still hold the upper hand on critical resources, and they know how to use them." Any lessening of tensions — and freer flow — of these mineral resources in China would be a significant boost to the global economy with China holding outsized leverage in both the reserves and processing capacity of these key building blocks for everything from computers to electric vehicle batteries to medical devices. Likewise, the US offering concessions on export controls would be a significant move after years where successive US administrations have wielded these controls — especially around the design and manufacture of semiconductors — by saying they need to be tight on China for national security reasons. Read more here. May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report will be released on Wednesday and its expected to show that prices rose a bit faster than in April. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal breaks down what to look out for and how President Trump's tariffs are impacting what consumers are now paying for goods and services. Read more here. Now that the US-China trade truce is back on track, both sides are keen to ensure it stays that way. China's Vice Premier He Lifeng said both sides need to now 'show the spirit of good faith in abiding by their commitments and jointly safeguard the hard-won results of the dialogue.' Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Despite the US-China trade truce resuming the pain from President Trump's tariffs remains in China, especially among small exporters. Reuters reports: Read more here. Japan warned Wednesday that tariffs threaten its economic growth, the government said in a monthly report. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. A federal appeals could said on Tuesday that President Trump's sweeping tariffs can continue for now. This is a significant win for Trump, who introduced tariffs back in March and declared "Liberation Day," as he saw them as a way to free the US from what he called unfair trade practices. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Early summer sales for Inditex, the owner of fashion retailer Zara, came in weaker, as the company missed expectations for first quarter sales on Wednesday. President Trump's tariffs have impacted consumer demand in the US and other major markets. Reuters reports: Read more here. After weeks of back and forth, the US and China have agreed on a framework to implement the Geneva consensus that helped ease tariffs. The breakthrough came after two days of talks in London, including a marathon session on Tuesday. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said both sides had to "get the negativity out" before making progress. 'Now we can go forward to try to do positive trade, growing trade,' he said. As part of the deal, Beijing has promised to speed up shipments of rare earth metals, a crucial component for global auto and defense industries. Washington will ease export controls. This marks the first sign of movement on key issues. The proposal will now be presented to President Trump and China's Xi. Still, the discussions also did little to resolve a long-standing issue: China's trade surplus with the US. 'Markets will likely welcome the shift from confrontation to coordination,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Markets. 'We're not out of the woods yet — it's up to Trump and Xi to approve and enforce the deal.' The meeting was set up after a phone call between the two leaders, following weeks of each side accusing the other of breaking the Geneva commitments. Both countries had used chips, rare earths, student visas and ethane as bargaining tools. Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor at East China Normal University, said trust, not money, has been the biggest casualty of the trade war. 'We've heard a lot about frameworks,' he said. 'But the fundamental issue remains: Chips versus rare earths. Everything else is a peacock dance.' Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data

Trump touts trade truce with China as White House searches for wins
Trump touts trade truce with China as White House searches for wins

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Trump touts trade truce with China as White House searches for wins

President Trump announced Wednesday a pending trade truce with China as the White House searches for momentum ahead of a looming deadline to strike dozens of other similar deals. The president's announcement was light on details but gave Trump and his team the chance to tout a victory during a crucial stretch for his trade agenda. Trump said the deal with China, struck following negotiations in London between his top economic officials and their Chinese counterparts, set tariff rates on U.S. and Chinese imports, allowed Chinese students to attend U.S. colleges and set terms for U.S. imports of Chinese rare earth minerals. The president said the U.S. would maintain tariffs up to 55 percent on Chinese goods as part of the deal, but it was still pending final approval in both nations. It was also unclear whether the agreement reached this week was substantively different from the initial truce the U.S. and China struck in May following discussions in Geneva. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the U.S. 'agreed to comply with the Geneva agreement,' a reference to the initial terms struck between the Trump administration and Beijing in May to lower tariffs. The president, she said, was reviewing the details of Wednesday's deal. 'But what the president heard, he liked,' Leavitt said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC the 55 percent tariff on China is made up of a 20 percent tariff imposed this year over fentanyl concerns, a 10 percent reciprocal tariff applied to all imports and 25 percent tariffs still in place from Trump's first term. Asked if the tariff levels will not change from there, Lutnick responded, 'You can definitely say that.' It was a notable statement given Trump has repeatedly raised and lowered tariffs in the early months of his second term and created carve-outs for certain industries. Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent, who has emerged as Trump's top economic negotiator, hailed the deal in testimony before Congress. 'I have just returned in the middle of last night from negotiations in London with a Chinese delegation that will not only stabilize the economic relationship between our two economies, but make it more balanced,' Bessent said. Bessent also criticized Chinese production capacity and encouraged the country to pursue policies oriented to domestic consumption. 'China has a singular opportunity to stabilize its economy by shifting away from excess production towards greater consumption,' he said. Trump's announcement comes as the White House scrambles to strike deals with more than a dozen top U.S. trading partners in the wake of the president's April 2 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement. The president in April imposed more than $600 billion in import taxes on goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners, including tariffs close to 100 percent on Chinese goods. The scale of Trump's tariff plan stunned experts and investors, leading to weeks of financial market turmoil. Trump yielded to the pressure from bond markets and congressional Republicans soon after by reducing his initial tariffs to 10 percent for 90 days, a deadline set to hit July 8. Trump officials had touted plans to strike 90 deals in 90 days but so far have only announced an agreement with the United Kingdom — which was in the works before Trump imposed tariffs — before Wednesday's detente with China. Lutnick told CNBC he was optimistic about striking deals with other trading partners, which he and other top officials have said for months without announcing any agreements. 'Now, we're going to be focused, starting today. We're going to be focused on other deals. We're going to get them done. We're in good shape with lots of countries, but good shape isn't good enough for the United States of America. We want great deals that are fundamental for America. We can get them,' he said. Trump has previously suggested that if there is no agreement between the U.S. and other countries, he and his aides will determine an appropriate tariff rate to impose moving forward. But Bessent suggested in testimony to lawmakers that the July 8 deadline could have some wiggle room for certain countries. 'It is highly likely that for those countries that are negotiating — or trading blocs, in the case of the EU — who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiation,' Bessent said. 'If someone is not negotiating, then we will not.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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