The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) will list KTAM SET Food and Beverage ETF Tracker, managed by Krung Thai Asset Management pcl, on its main board on April 2, under the ticker "EFOOD".
Kesara Manchusree, a SET Executive Vice President and Head of the Markets Division, said:
“EFOOD, an open-end exchange-traded fund (ETF), will track the performance of the SET Food and Beverage Sector Index, a capitalization-weighted index of all stocks of the SET Index that are involved in the food and beverage sector. The fund’s policy allows for dividend payments of up to 4 times per year.”
“Most ETFs issued in Thailand are from KTAM, including equity ETFs tracking both Thai and foreign stock indices and gold ETF. EFOOD will meet the demand from those who want to invest in this sector, boosting opportunities to profit from dynamic economic conditions. Investors can also use this ETF as an instrument for diversified portfolio management,” Kesara added.
The SET Food and Beverage Sector Index has the market capitalization of THB 700 billion (approx. USD 23 billion), amounting to about 5 percent of the total market value. It consists of 26 securities of top companies which are manufacturers and distributors of fresh and processed food, canned fruit, instant noodles, sugar, cooking oil, and beverages, under famous brands. In 2012, the SET Food and Beverage Sector Index increased 35.36 percent from 2011 with dividends at 2.34 percent. In the first two months of 2013, the SET Food and Beverage Sector Index rose 3.67% with dividend at 2.35 percent.
Somchai Boonnamsiri, Chief Executive Officer of Krung Thai Asset Management pcl (KTAM) said: “We believe investors will get more convenience by purchasing EFOOD through their trading accounts, and can receive the same returns as investing in the food and beverage sector, but without buying individual stocks. The launches of ETFs will promote alternative investment opportunities for investors, especially for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).”
KT ZMICO Securities Co., Ltd. and Asia Plus Securities pcl are participating dealers, while Asia Plus Securities pcl is also the market maker. Thailand Securities Depository Co., Ltd. is registar for EFOOD. For more information on EFOOD, please visit Krung Thai Asset Management pcl at www.ktam.co.th and the SET at www.set.or.th, www.settrade.com or call SET-Call-Center at +66 2229 2222
