Dividends coming despite drop in profits

By The Nation

 

 

The Stock Exchange of Thailand has been informed by 154 listed companies that they plan to pay interim dividends totalling a combined Bt115 billion, even though most saw a decline in net profits in the first half of the year.

 

The top five companies paying dividends are Advance Info Service Plc (dividends worth Bt11.23 billion), PTT Exploration and Production (Bt8.93 billion), Siam Cement Plc (Bt8.4 billion), Siam Commercial Bank Plc (Bt5.09 billion) and Thanachart Capital Plc (Bt4.58 billion).

 

Kasikorn Securities Plc calculated that the dividend payments for the first half topped net profit, which dropped 17 per cent from the same period last year.

 

“Most of the listed companies have decided to pay the dividend because they’ve delayed their investment plans due to slower national economic growth,” the firm said in a statement. “Paying a dividend to their shareholders is better than keeping cash in reserve.”

 

Terdsak Taweethiratham, vice president of Asia Plus Securities Co Ltd, said the dividend represented about 54 per cent of net profits from the first half of the year.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30375658

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-02

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16 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Most of the listed companies have decided to pay the dividend because they’ve delayed their investment plans due to slower national economic growth,”

I have always said, if you really want to know how the economy is doing, don't ask the government, ask the accountants. Increasing dividends as profits decline. Paying more in dividends than net profit. Wow. Of course, we know who the primary dividend recipients are - and they are not those poor Cambodian workers taking on debt for work permits. This is information you can take to the bank.