San Miguel bolsters Meralco stake in ₱93-million share deal
San Miguel Corp. has increased its holding in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) after completing another purchase related to a long-stalled share acquisition agreement.
In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Aug. 26, San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMGP) announced that it purchased 1.03 million common shares of Meralco from state-lender Land Bank of the Philippines in a special block sale on Aug. 22.
The transaction was valued at ₱93.1 million, with each share priced at ₱90.
The latest acquisition comes after the power arm of billionaire Ramon S. Ang’s purchase of 43.23 million Meralco shares in mid-August. This second tranche brings San Miguel’s total holdings under the revived agreement to 44.3 million shares.
The total stake is now equivalent to 3.93 percent of the power distributor, making San Miguel Global Power Meralco's fourth-largest shareholder.
The share purchases are the culmination of a December 2008 agreement that was delayed for 17 years by graft cases and legal disputes.
The Sandiganbayan acquitted former Landbank officials of the charges in June 2024, and the Supreme Court ordered the enforcement of the purchase agreement in April 2024, allowing the deal to proceed.
While the original purchase price for the total 44.3 million shares was based on a ₱90 per share valuation, the current market value of San Miguel’s stake is estimated to be over ₱24 billion, a significant increase in Meralco's stock price since the initial agreement.
SMGP is one of the largest energy companies in the country, with a total capacity of approximately 5,075 megawatts. It holds a diverse portfolio of assets, including natural gas, coal, and renewable energy sources. Meralco, the country’s largest private sector distribution utility, is led by Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
The company’s other key shareholders include the group of Manuel V. Pangilinan, the Gokongwei family’s JG Summit Holdings, and the Lopez family’s First Philippine Holdings.