Dividend Effect

 

Foreigners’ equity ratio in Korean financial companies has hit a new high. It is being said that this is because they invested more in the companies for more dividends after the companies recently decided to pay larger dividends. 

The ratio reached 69.2 percent in the KB Financial group as of Feb. 13. The percentage had stood at 57 percent or so at the end of 2010. For the Shinhan Financial Group, the percentage rose from 60 percent to 67.9 percent between the end of 2010 and December last year. The ratios are 69.1 percent and 72.58 percent for the Hana and DGB Financial Groups, respectively. 

The ratios are even higher than those of most KOSPI-listed companies. Only Ssangyong Motors (75.4 percent) and S-Oil (74.4 percent) are currently showing a higher foreign equity ratio in the stock market. The percentage is 54.2 percent, 51.4 percent, and 44.0 percent each for POSCO, Samsung Electronics, and Hyundai Motor Company. 

In addition, the overall foreign equity ratio of the KOSPI increased just slightly from 33 percent to 34.2 percent between 2010 and last year.

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