3 PH firms listed in Forbes ‘Best Under A Billion’

MANILA — Three Philippine firms was listed on Forbes Magazine’s “Best Under A Billion” list for 200 leading public companies in the Asia Pacific region.

D&L Industries, Nickel Asia and Oriental Peninsula Resources Group (ORE) made it to the 2015 BUB list.

D&L is the leading manufacturer of food ingredients and a specialty plastic additive and is headed by the Lao family.

It has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, has $363 million in annual sales revenues and $61 million in net profit.

Nickel Asia Corp., , the Philippines’ largest producer of lateritic nickel ore and one of the largest in the world, has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion  and is led by the Zamora family.

ORE is another mining firm focused on the mining operations of its sole subsidiary Citinickel Mines and Development Corp. , and is led by the Tanchay family, with $78 million in sales revenues and $37 million in net profit.

The list, according to a press statement released by Forbes Asia on Thursday, is composed of companies with annual revenue between $5 million and $1 billion, with a positive net income and which have been publicly traded for at least a year.

“The secret to making the BUB is consistent growth in the measured performance metrics. One off year and you’re out. Companies in sustained strong-growth economies, or in Taiwan’s case, exporting to them, have a decided advantage. It is also important to have a good, liquid channel for public stock offerings,” said Forbes Asia editor Tim Ferguson.

Almost 60 percent of the companies in the list came from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The full list can be viewed at www.forbes.com/bub and in the latest issue of Forbes Asia.