The SM Group of companies hogged three of the top five highest earners among the listed companies during the first quarter of the year.

Data from the Philippine Stock Exchange showed that SM Prime Holdings,Inc. posted the highest income of P12.63 billion, far ahead of second- telco giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s P9.38 billion.

SM Investments Corp., ranked third with its P6.24 billion profit while BDO Unibank, Inc.’s P6.12 billion ranked fourth. Completing the top five is JG Summit Holdings Inc., which posted a P5.98 billion profit for the period.

The PSE on Friday reported that consolidated profits for the first quarter of the year grew 13.9 percent at P158.28 billion from P138.96 billion last year. The increase was mostly driven by significant profit gains in the property and services sectors, the PSE said.

Consolidated revenues meanwhile grew 1.6 percent at P1.58 trillion from P1.55 trillion.

Top revenue generator is San Miguel Corp., at P160.52 billion, compared to runner up Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc. of George Ty,  P160.51 billion, followed by Petron Corp., with P87 billion.

Completing the top five is SM Investments Corp. at P65.92 billion, and Manila Electric Co.’s P62.99 billion.

Five out of six sectors posted net income growths in the first quarter of 2015 led by the Property Sector, whose profits soared by 52.4 percent to P27.42 billion. On a revenue basis, four of the six sectors recorded higher revenues, again led by the Property Sector with a 22.4 percent increase.

The combined income of the Property Sector was boosted by higher real estate sales and leasing income as well as a non-recurring share sale gain for one property firm.

Significant profit growth from airline companies and telcos were the main contributors to the increase in consolidated profits of the Services Sector, which rose by 27.9 percent to P25.57 billion.

Securities trading gains were the main reason for the 7.7 percent collective income increase of the Financial Sector. Companies in the Holding Firms Sector had a combined net profit of P43.65 billion, up by 6.5 percent due to better performances from the business units of holding firms.

The Mining and Oil Sector had a 2.9 percent increase in consolidated income to P2.97 billion arising mainly from better prices of precious metals in the global market, higher sales of nickel as well as foreign exchange gains.

The profit of firms in the Industrial Sector meantime was down by 1.5 percent to P30.84 billion on lower oil prices and higher operating expenses.

The PSE said PSEi-members accounted for 70.4 percent of the total market net income, with its 30 constituents posting a combined profit of Php111.41 billion in the first quarter of 2015, higher by 9.2 percent from the same period a year ago.

The positive first quarter 2015 result comes after another banner year in 2014 where the combined net profit of listed companies was higher by 8.3 percent to Php582.50 billion from Php538.06 billion in 2013.

The picture however changes when the ranking is based on return-on-asset and return-on-equity, with Philweb Corp., clocking 43.38 percent ROA among companies that posted positive earnings for the period.

Joining Philweb for the top five are Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc., (25.55) percent, Nickel Asia (24.83 percent), PSE (24.34 percent), Macay Holdings, Inc., (24.44 percent), and Marcventures Holdings, Inc. (21.08 percent).

Completing the top 10 are First Metro ETF’s (17.15 percent), SPC Power Corp.’s (16.26 percent), Holcim Power Corp.’s (15.94 percent), and D&L Industries, Inc.’s (15.26 percent).

Philweb also tops the list for companies that posted the highest return on equity for companies with positive earnings with 81.96 percent. Completing the top five are Macay Holdings’s 40.41 percent, PSE’s 36.83 percent, Nickel Asia’s 32.49 percent, and Semirara Ming and Power Corp.’s 29.15 percent.

PLDT meanwhile ranks sixth at 28.78 percent, while Energy Development Corp.’s 27.71 percent, Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp.’s 27.09 percent, COL Financial Group, Inc.’s 27.05 percent, and Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc.’s 26.75 percent complete the top 10.

The ROA and ROE is a means to measure management’s effectiveness in handling company assets.