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The total of 406 firms listed on The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and Market Alternative Investment (mai) announced a combined 2015 dividend payment of THB 381.65 billion (approx. USD 10.90 billion), as of March 11, 2016, an all-time high valuation since the market established, representing dividend payout ratio of over 60 percent, as such further enhancing the attractiveness of Thai equities among foreign investors.
SET Senior Executive Vice President Santi Kiranand said that, as of March 11, 2016, the 406 companies paying dividends included 328 SET-listed firms with dividends of THB 376.68 billion and 78 mai-listed companies with dividends worth THB 4.96 billion, totaling THB 381.65 billion. These payouts generated a 2015 dividend yield of 3.55 percent, higher than 2.95 percent a year earlier, while 2015 dividend payout ratio was 61 percent (excluding property fund, infrastructure fund, and real estate investment trust).
“Thai listed firms have paid a record high dividend ever as their performances recovered with support from solid fundamentals, strong cash flows and liquidity management, enabling companies to maintain growth amid business environment uncertainties. Furthermore, the high dividends boosted dividend yields of Thai listed firms, outperforming an average 3 percent dividend yield of other exchanges in the region,” added Santi.
The first five SET-listed firms which paid the highest dividends, in absolute amounts in descending order, were Advanced Info Service pcl (ADVANC), PTT pcl (PTT), The Siam Cement pcl (SCC), Siam Commercial Bank pcl (SCB) and Intouch Holdings pcl (INTUCH), totaling worth a combined THB 119.90 billion, or representing 32 percent of SET’s total dividends by value.
Meanwhile, companies in SET High Dividend Index (SETHD) paid 2015 dividend of THB 173.66 billion, or 46 percent of the total value, and generated a 2015 average dividend yield at 4.35 percent.
The mai-listed firms which paid highest dividends in 2015, in absolute amounts in descending order, were J.S.P. Property pcl (JSP), Energy Absolute pcl (EA), Brooker Group pcl (BROOK), Forth Smart Service pcl (FSMART), and Union Auction pcl (AUCT), paid 2015 dividend of THB 1.92 billion, or representing 39 percent of mai's total dividends by value.
There are more listed companies considering paying 2015 dividends at a later stage. For more information, please visit www.set.or.th
