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A hundred nineteen firms listed on The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) or the Market for Alternative Investment (mai) announced interim dividend payments for H1/2010 totaling of THB90.18 billion (approx. USD2.82 billion),a 23.19% increase over the THB73.20 billion (approx. USD2.29 billion) of H1/2009. The dividend payout ratio was 47.50%, the highest record in five years.
“In H1/2010, of all listed firms announcing interim dividend payments, 103 were on the SET and 16 were on the mai. The total of 119 was eight more companies than last year. This year’s payout ratio was 2.91% more than last year’s 44.59%, and was the highest record in five years. Meanwhile, the average dividend yield was at 1.95%,” revealed SET Group Head, Issuer & Listing and mai President Chanitr Charnchainarong.
“The rise in the number of firms announcing interim dividend payments and ability to payout dividend resulted from the company’s growth and a better operating performance, as shown from a 34.03% growth in H1/2010 net profits over the same period last year,” said Mr. Chanitr.
The top five SET-listed firms paying the highest interim dividends (in descending absolute amounts) were Shin Corporation PCL (SHIN), PTT PCL (PTT), Advanced Info Service PCL (ADVANC) PTT Exploration and Production PCL (PTTEP) and The Siam Cement PCL (SCC), accounting for 56.03% of total interim dividends of SET-listed firms. Meanwhile, the top five-mai listed firm paying the highest interim dividends (in descending absolute amounts) were Kiattana Transport PCL (KIAT), Demco PCL (DEMCO), Ubis Asia PCL (UBIS), Nation Broadcasting Corporation PCL (NBC) Business Online PCL (BOL), accounting for 55.70% of total interim dividend payment of listed firms in mai.
Interim dividends are announced from time to time. Investors can keep up with the news at SET website www.set.or.th or by calling S-E-T Call Center at 0 2229 2222.
Click here to download background information on dividend payment performance in H1 2010.
