SSS boosts stake in Century Properties to nearly 10%
The Social Security System (SSS) expanded its equity stake in Antonio-led Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) to almost 10 percent, deploying additional capital into the housing builder as the state-backed pension fund seeks stable returns from real estate assets.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, CPG said the institution bought 406.47 million common shares of Century Properties at ₱0.665 apiece.
The transaction, valued at ₱270.3 million, lifts SSS’ holding to 9.9 percent from 6.4 percent.
The seller was primary shareholder Century Properties Inc., the holding vehicle controlled by the founding Antonio family. The state fund earlier bought 740.74 million common shares in July last year as part of an initial acquisition strategy.
Marco R. Antonio, CPG president and chief executive officer, said the additional capital allocation from the state-run fund validates the company’s financial discipline and long-term capital allocation plan.
“SSS’s increased investment represents a strong vote of confidence in CPG’s fundamentals, governance, growth strategy, and shareholder return profile,” Antonio said.
“It also affirms continued conviction in the Company’s Twin Engine Strategy, which combines PHirst’s affordable first-home platform with CPG’s premium residential portfolio,” he added.
Century Properties has pivoted toward its dual-track model, balancing mass-market housing development under its PHirst brand with traditional high-end residential towers in major metropolitan areas.
The company plans to maintain steady dividend payouts and keep debt at manageable levels while serving primary home buyers, Antonio added.
“From a capital markets perspective, SSS’s additional investment is a clear endorsement of CPG’s fundamentals, governance standards, financial discipline, and shareholder return profile,” Relations Rodel V. Marqueses, CPG chief financial officer and head of investor relations, said.
CPG has increasingly prioritized lower-middle-income housing units, where structural deficits in the country remain high, alongside its mid-tier and luxury projects in Metro Manila.
The transaction structure allows the Antonio family to retain overall majority control while broadening the public float and providing SSS with predictable dividend flows from steady home completions. (James A. Loyola)