Dividend payouts by South Korean listed firms are expected to remain low this year compared with their foreign rivals, although their average dividend yield ratio may creep up from last year, industry data showed Monday.

The average dividend yield ratio of listed firms that trade on the country’s main bourse is estimated at 1.25 percent for the year, compared with last year’s 1.18 percent, according to the data.

The dividend yield ratio refers to a company’s annual dividend payments per share divided by its share price, or the ratio of returns investors receive per share. A low ratio usually means that a company is retaining cash or increasing capital spending.

Data from Bloomberg show the dividend yield ratio of the Dow Jones Industrial Average is estimated at 2.27 percent for the year. (Yonhap)