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- Annual sales up 3 pct to THB 108 bln despite economic uncertainties
- Higher operating costs drag 2013 net profit down 12.5 pct from a year earlier
- APCO, ARIP, ILINK, JUBILE, L&E achieve profit growth for 3 years in a row
Thai companies listed on Market for Alternative Investment (mai), under The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) group, reported 2013 combined sales of THB 108.42 billion (approx. USD 3.36 billion), up 2.91 percent from a year earlier, while net earnings dropped 12.45 percent to THB 4.78 billion (USD 148 million), hit by a 9.7 percent rise of operating costs from business expansion and rising investment.
The aggregated profits came from 94 companies out of a total of 95, of which about 80 percent made net profits for the financial year ending December 2013. The total gross profit margin was maintained at about 20.87 percent, while net profit margin decreased to 4.41 percent from 5.18 percent a year earlier.
"The Services sector could maintain its net profit growth in 2013, but high production costs and operating expenses put pressure on the financials, manufacturing and property sectors, resulting in a decrease in 2013 net profit. Classified by industry, three industry group reported remarkable performances in 2013 with the highest profit growth among mai-listed firms, which were the Resource (RESOURC), Agribusiness and Food (AGRO), and Consumer Products (CONSUMP), respectively,” said mai President Prapan Charoenprawatt.
Of the total mai-listed firms, five have posted continuing net profits since 2011; these were Asian Phytoceuticals pcl (APCO), ARIP pcl (ARIP), Interlink Communication pcl (ILINK), Jubilee Enterprise pcl (JUBILE) and Lighting & Equipment pcl (L&E).
As of March 6, 2014, the mai index closed at 387.25 points, rising 13.07 percent since the beginning of this year, with a total market capitalization of THB 174.01 billion (USD 5.39 billion) and average trading value of THB1.44 billion per day.
