Ten SET-listed firms in Dow Jones sustainability indexes this year

The selected companies are PTT, PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), PTT Global Chemical, Banpu, Central Pattana, IRPC, Minor International, Thai Union Frozen Products, Siam Cement, and Thai Oil.

Their inclusion follows the recent announcement of the annual DJSI review conducted by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM.

Of the listed Thai firms, PTT, PTTEP, PTT Global Chemical and Siam Cement have also been selected for the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DSJI World Index).

SET president Kesara Manchusree said it was great news that 10 companies had been selected for the DJSI, more than doubling the number of Thai businesses last year, when only four companies were selected for the indexes. 

More importantly, there are four Thai firms in the DJSI World Index this year, with PTTEP the newcomer among this group. 

For the DJSI Emerging Markets Index, Banpu, Central Pattana, IRPC, Minor International, PTTEP and Thai Union Frozen Products are the six newly added Thai companies.

Being components in the DJSI reinforces the attractiveness of the Thai stock market among both domestic and foreign investors, and boosts confidence that the companies operate businesses with the best sustainability practices by considering the environment, society, corporate governance and good performance, enabling their companies to grow continuously and sustainably, ultimately providing good long-term returns for investors, she said.

The increase in the number of companies selected into the DJSI is a result of listed companies’ efforts and the SET’s commitment to develop and enhance knowledge of evaluating sustainability, she said. 

The SET has played a major role in building the companies’ readiness to be a component of the DJSI via a number of key activities, such as DJSI exclusive training, CEO forums and DJSI coaching workshops. These efforts improve their potentiality for inclusion in the DJSI, said Kesara. 

This forms part of the SET’s key mission to develop the Thai capital market towards sustainability in the long run, the bourse chief added.  

The DJSI’s global indexes track the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide, and leading funds use the DJSI as a gauge for making prudent long-run investment decisions. 

The DJSI invites more than 3,000 publicly traded companies to report annually on their sustainability practices. Selection to the DJSI is based on market capitalisation and in-depth analysis of a company’s economic, social and environmental aspects, with a focus on long-term development of corporate value. 

The DJSI review this year was effective from September 11. S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM announce the results of the annual review every September.