Bangkok--25 Aug--SET
A total of 120 companies listed on The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and Market for Alternative Investment (mai) has announced interim dividend payment of a combined THB 95.3 billion (approx. USD 2.7 billion) for the first half of 2015, representing dividend payout ratio of 60 percent, the highest in ASEAN, indicating their strong fundamental and effective cost management.
The interim dividend payment is expected to reach over THB 100 billion after all announcements are made. Over the last three years, an average dividend payment was at THB 120-130 billion from the 140-150 listed firms on their first six-month announcement.
SET Executive Vice President Santi Kiranand said that as of August 21, there were 120 companies consisting of 102 SET-listed firms (excluding property funds) that had announced dividends for the first six months of 2015, for a total worth THB 94.3 billion, combined with 18 mai-listed firms with dividends worth THB 1.04 billion. The total payout ratio of SET and mai-listed companies was relatively stable at 60 percent, similar to H1/2014.
“Thai listed firms have continuously demonstrated their upbeat performance with constantly paid out dividends thanks to their healthy financial status from effective cash flow and capital structure management. It is evidently that the increasing number of listed companies with constant record of interim dividend payouts in the past years and the dividend payout ratio this year has made it to the top compared to all other ASEAN stock markets reporting an average between 40-55 percent,” Santi said.
The top five SET-listed firms which have currently paid the highest dividends are: Advanced Info Service pcl (ADVANC), Intouch Holdings pcl (INTUCH), Siam Cement pcl (SCC), Hemaraj Land and Development pcl (HEMRAJ), and Total Access Communication pcl (DTAC). Their aggregate interim dividends were THB 51.47 billion, or 55 percent of SET's total interim dividends by value.
The top five mai-listed firms with the highest interim dividend payments are: JSP Property pcl (JSP), The Brooker Group pcl, (BROOK), Forth Smart Service pcl (FSMART), Union Auction pcl (AUCT), and Fortune Parts Industry pcl (FPI). Their payouts totaled THB 725 million, or 70 percent of mai's total dividends.
The top five sectors that have made the highest dividend payouts are: Information & Communication Technology, Energy & Utilities, Construction Materials, Property Development, and Food & Beverage, with the combined dividend value of THB 80.83 billion or 86 percent of the total interim dividends.
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