Manulife Strength - Equity Dividend Fund continues dividend payment trend with a THB1.20 per unit disbursement in the first quarter of 2013

Manulife Asset Management has announced the payment of a THB 1.20 per unit dividend for its open-ended Manulife Strength - Equity Dividend Fund. This is the twelfth dividend distribution since the fund’s inception in August 2009, bringing the total accumulated dividend yield of 90.50% (versus the fund’s unit price of THB11.9131 as of March 15, 2013). Manulife Asset Management’s Manulife Strength - Equity Dividend (MS-EQ DIV) Fund has posted strong performance in recent months due to the Thai stock market’s impressive growth and prudent and effective stock selection by the company’s professional fund managers. The fund is particularly suitable for investors looking for steady income stream from dividend payments. Since the beginning of this year, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index has risen from 1,391.93 to a high of 1,598.13 on March 15, 2013, representing an impressive gain of 14.81% in less than three months. Tor Indhavivadhana, CEO of Manulife Asset Management (Thailand), explained: “The market benefitted from a favorable liquidity environment given monetary policy easing in major economies like the United States, the European Union and Japan. We have observed substantial fund flows into debt instruments and equity markets across Asia, including the Thai market.” Manulife Asset Management’s investment team sees the potential for the volatility of the SET to rise in the near future, as any unfavorable news flow out of developed markets could tempt investors to sell in order to lock in profits. However, the company sees many reasons for overall positive sentiment towards the equity asset class during 2013: China’s economic outlook has improved modestly, global equity valuations are generally reasonable, interest rates are low and inflation remains relatively subdued by historical standards. Manulife Asset Management expects capital inflows from abroad to continue to be supportive of the Thai stock market. Although the SET Index has set a new high in recent years, the market as a whole remains cheaper than some others in the region. The SET Index is trading at a 2013 price-earnings ratio of about 14 times versus 15 times for Indonesia, Hong Kong and Taiwan and 19 times for the Philippines. Tor explained: “Thailand's economic fundamentals are likely to remain strong in 2013 on the back of higher domestic consumption thanks to recent developments such as minimum wage hikes across the country, personal income tax rate reductions and an increase in government spending. Prospects for currency appreciation further add to the attractiveness of Thai equities for foreign investors.” Investors looking to build their exposure to Thai equities to capture the market’s long-term growth potential may consider a diversified approach by investing in the MS-EQ DIV Fund. The MS-EQ DIV Fund is managed by Manulife Asset Management’s professional fund managers, who capitalize on favorable market conditions by selecting stocks with strong fundamentals, attractive growth potential and a consistent record of dividend payouts. Quality research, together with a prudent and disciplined investment process, has contributed to the MS-EQ DIV Fund’s strong performance and made it possible to pay the THB1.20dividend per unit. Registration for entitlement to the dividend closes on March 15, 2013, and payment will be made on March 22, 2013. The MS-EQ DIV Fund has made 12 dividend payments since its inception in 2009, which is in accordance with Manulife Asset Management’s policy of paying dividends on a quarterly basis in order to allow unit holders to enjoy a consistent income stream throughout their investment period. For more information on this or other investment funds, please contact Manulife Asset Management (Thailand) at Tel. 0-2354-1001 or visit the website: www.manulife-asset.co.th -KP- Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net

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