Dividend payment grows 7%
Listed companies paid out Bt326.1 billion dividends for the 2011 performance, up 7 per cent from the previous year, according to the Stock Exchange of Thailand announcement.
The data was as of March 8, when 311 companies announced the dividend payments.
Chanitr Charnchainarong, senior vice president, said that since 2008, paid dividends grew 16.71 per cent per annum on average.
"The increasing dividend payouts reflect the continued earning growth of listed companies as well as the strength of their cashflows, despite higher costs and flood impacts. Paying out higher dividends than the previous year were companies in the communications, energy, petrochemical, banking, construction materials, food & drink, and service sectors," he said.
Total Access Communication, PTT, Advanced Info Service, PTT Exploration and Production and Shin Corp are the top five in terms of dividend payment. Their combined payment is worth Bt139.98 billion or 43.16 per cent total dividend payments.
Overall, the dividend yield is equivalent to 3.87 per cent while the payout ratio is 53.42 per cent of earnings.
Aside from cash dividends, 24 companies also announced stock dividends worth totally Bt35.7 billion.
