Financial technology firm Maya is eyeing to pursue a dual listing—one in the United States and another in the Philippines— to secure fresh capital for growth while keeping control in the hands of PLDT, Inc. and First Pacific.
While the timing and the size of the plan is not yet fixed, Maya chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters on Thursday that a foreign public listing is “possible.”
“That’s what our foreign shareholders want but we’re insisting on dual listing,” he said.
Pangilinan said the capital raise will likely include a primary tranche to bring new funds into Maya, with the company not planning to sell its existing shares and aiming to exercise preemptive rights to maintain its stake.
He added that Maya is prepared to subscribe to any unsubscribed portion of the primary shares.
The United States, according to Pangilinan, is the main target overseas due to its depth and suitability for raising capital.
Last year, Maya Bank posted its first profit after earning P1.6 billion in the first nine months as lending surged.
Its loan portfolio hit P27 billion by September, up 59 percent from a year earlier, while deposits climbed 44 percent to P56.7 billion.
The bank’s net interest margin also expanded to 18.9 percent from 13.9 percent.