Listed companies earnings up 13% in Q1

Stocks in the Financials industry and those relating to domestic consumption showed significant increases in sales  and net profits, according to data of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Of the firms, 381 companies, or 85.04 per cent of all stocks, showed net profits. Total sales in the quarter rose 4.88 per cent on year to Bt2.63 trillion (approximately $90.68 billion).  Gross profit margins rose to 18.26 per cent, from 17.57 per cent recorded during the same quarter of 2012, with net profit margins also increasing to 9.18 per cent from 8.53 per cent.  At the same time, debt-to-equity ratio (excluding those in the Financials industry) was at 1.29 times.

"The marked improvement in net profits reflected more effective cost management among companies, with those in the Financials and Consumer Products industries emerging as outstanding performers, due to the expansion in business credit and household debt, higher stock market indices and trading volume, as well as an improvement in the insurance business, while the impact of the 2011 floods appeared to ease," said Chanitr Charnchainarong, SET executive vice president.

The five companies with the highest net profit are PTT (PTT), PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC), and Kasikornbank (KBANK).