Jollibee secures approval to lift foreign ownership limit

F&B giant Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) has received approval from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) to remove its 40 percent foreign ownership limit.

The decision follows the company’s amendment request to its articles of incorporation, which also includes removing its ability to own, acquire, mortgage, pledge, or encumber land.

Article 12 of the Philippine Constitution restricts foreign ownership of land and certain businesses to 40 per cent, with the remaining 60 per cent reserved for Filipino citizens or corporations.

Following the change, JFC is now positioned to accommodate more foreign investors.

AP Securities research analyst Jose Cipres said the move allows the company to raise additional capital for expansion through a sale-leaseback transaction.

“They could use the proceeds from the sale of land to expand their current store portfolio, translating to higher earnings,” explained Cipres.

Meanwhile, Unicapital equity research analyst Jeri Alfonso said removing the foreign ownership limit is a good catalyst for JFC.

“Given this current market condition, this will provide a big boost to the company in terms of trading volume,” Alfonso added.