The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) announces 79 listed companies with outstanding performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects on the Thailand Sustainability Investment (THSI) list for 2018, an increase of 14 firms from 2017.
SET President Pakorn Peetathawatchai said that one of SET's priorities is to encourage listed companies to realize the importance and gain understanding of integrating sustainability development practice into business operations. We aim at creating quality listed firms to enhance sustainable development of the Thai capital market and the country as a whole, in line with SET's vision: ‘To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone’.
“THSI list is a viable way for investors to make investment decision based on responsible investment for long-term returns. This year, not only the number of listed firms selected on the list that have increased, but also the number of listed firms participated in the assessment have also increased to 114 from 90 in 2017. The higher numbers reflect the higher awareness of Thai listed companies committed to pursuing sustainable development by focusing on risk management, innovation adoption, while incorporating ethics into business practices with responsibilities to stakeholders, society and environment. The THSI list in 2018 will also be used for selecting constituents of SETTHSI Index in 2019 to be a benchmark for investment return in sustainable stocks,” added Pakorn.
Out of the total, 73 companies in THSI list are listed on SET and six on Market for Alternative Investment (mai). The selected companies have a total market cap of THB 10.59 trillion (approx. USD 320.9 billion), representing 59.8 percent of the combined SET and mai market cap of THB 17.71 trillion. Average dividend yield for stocks in THSI is 3.91 percent, outperforming SET’s overall average dividend yield of 3.62 percent.
The industry groups with highest number of firms in THSI are: 17 firms in Resources, 14 in Property & Construction and 13 in Industrials. Classified by market capitalization, 25 listed firms have market value more than THB 100 billion, 26 firms in a range of THB 10-100 billion and 28 firms below THB 10 billion (as of October 10, 2018).
For the process of THSI list, SET selects listed companies from those that have voluntarily participated in the sustainability assessment questionnaires covering ESG and economic dimensions. SET reviews the assessment questions every year to ensure they accurately reflect the context which is changed at global level.
Companies selected for THSI list must score at least 50 percent on the assessments in each dimension, or those which are components of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and meet qualifications criteria. The criteria cover assessment of corporate governance report quality, net profit and shareholders' equity, passing SET/ mai listed companies’ qualifications, and having no significant negative impact on ESG.
The assessment is carried out by the sustainable investment working group consisting of experts in corporate governance and social responsibility, including representatives from the capital market organizations, strictly adhering to transparent and reliable process.
