Mr. Vathan Jitsomnuk, Director of Strategy Analysis at Pi Securities, stated that the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed the morning session slightly higher by 0.01%, or 0.16 points, at 1,274.91 points, moving sideways with support from the petrochemical sector.
He noted that the index was stable this morning after its earlier rise at the start of the year. Meanwhile, yesterday, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that the number of international tourists in the first four days of January declined by 7.9% YoY, reflecting persistently weak tourism signals. As a result, there was selling pressure on tourism-related stocks, such as hotel and airport stocks, yesterday.
Capital has been moving out from domestically oriented sectors into those with international exposure. This morning, petrochemical stocks surged prominently. The petrochemical group also benefited from higher selling prices.
Meanwhile, overseas markets, especially the U.S. stock market, saw strong gains, led by AI-related stocks. However, the Thai stock market lacks directly related AI stocks and thus did not benefit from the global AI rally.
For the afternoon outlook, the index is expected to remain stable. It is recommended to monitor the earnings reports from the banking sector, as well as election developments. The support range is set at 1,270 points and resistance at 1,285 points.
The top five securities by trading value in the morning session are as follows:
- Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL (SET: DELTA): Trading value THB 1.29 billion, closed at THB 181.50 per share, down THB 1.50 or 0.82%.
- The Siam Cement PCL (SET: SCC): Trading value THB 1.08 billion, closed at THB 199.50 per share, up THB 9.50 or 5.00%.
- PTT Exploration and Production PCL (SET: PTTEP): Trading value THB 1.05 billion, closed at THB 109.00 per share, down THB 3.00 or 2.68%.
- Kasikornbank PCL (SET: KBANK): Trading value THB 997.02 million, closed at THB 192.50 per share, down THB 2.00 or 1.03%.
- Indorama Ventures PCL (SET: IVL): Trading value THB 972.84 million, closed at THB 17.40 per share, up THB 1.40 or 8.75%.
