The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) announces Thai listed companies on the main board and the Market for Alternatives Investment (mai) make unprecedented dividend payments for the first half of this year, with a record 126 companies paying THB 110 billion (USD 3.67 billion), the highest value since the two markets were established.
“It is the first time that interim dividend payments hit a hundred billion baht after sales and net profits of listed firms in both the first and second quarters of this year reached record highs. The interim dividend payment was paid by 126 companies, trebling over the last 10 years,” said SET President Charamporn Jotikasthira.
The dividend payment grew 19.48 percent from a year earlier and up more than 14 times from 2002 when listed firms paid THB 7.60 billion baht, Charamporn revealed.
Of the 126 companies, 107 companies are listed on the SET, with dividend payments worth THB 109.58 billion; 19 firms are mai-listed, paying combined dividends of THB 473 million. They made an average payout ratio of 37.84 percent in the first half, according to the data based on September 2, 2011.
The five SET-listed companies paying the highest interim dividends (in descending order) were PTT plc (PTT), Advanced Info Service plc (ADVANC), Shin Corporation plc (INTUCH), PTT Exploration and Production plc (PTTEP) and Siam Cement plc (SCC). Their dividends of THB 54.91 billion account for 50.11 percent of the total interim dividend of SET-listed firms.
Meanwhile, the five mai-listed firms paying the highest interim dividends (in descending order) were Kiattana Transport plc (KIAT), Salee Industry plc (SALEE), Tirathai plc (TRT), Unimit Engineering plc (UEC) and Dhanamitr Factoring plc (DM). They paid dividends of THB 221 million, representing 46.74 percent of the total interim dividend of mai-listed firms.
By sector, the five sectors paying the highest interim dividends (in descending order) were Energy & Utilities, Information & Communication Technology, Banking, Construction Materials, and Petrochemicals & Chemicals. Their dividends were worth THB 90.43 billion, accounting for 82.17 percent of the total.
