Recap: Global stock markets rallied last week on receding prospects for the first interest rate increase since 2006 by the US Federal Reserve amid signs of global economic weakness. Capital inflows to emerging markets including Thailand have also lifted their currencies against the dollar.
The SET index moved in a range of 1.399.52 and 1.429.54 points, and closed at 1,418.38, up 0.5% from the previous week, in heavy trade averaging 44.93 billion baht a day. Foreign investors were net buyers of 1.53 billion baht and brokers bought 4.63 billion baht more than they sold. Institutional investors were net sellers of 4.31 billion baht and retail investors sold 1.85 billion.
Big movers: The telecom equipment maker SCI Electric Plc (SCI) gained 18.6% above its IPO price of 5.90 baht on its SET debut on Oct 13 and finished the week at 8.30 baht. IEC was the top loser, tumbling 25% to 0.03 baht. Thai Industrial & Engineering Service (T) was the top gainer, up 6.7% to 0.22 baht. JAS led in volume, down 3.5% to 5.45 baht, and in turnover, losing 4.4% to 545 baht, followed by SCI, and PTT, down 2.21% to 266 baht.
Newsmakers : US retail sales rose only 0.1% in September, following a gain of just 0.2% in August, raising further doubts about whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year. Job growth has also braked sharply in the past two months.
The Fed's closely watched Beige Book report on the economy said that while expansion continued modestly, the stronger dollar in recent months was "restraining manufacturing activity as well as tourism spending".
China's imports extended the longest losing streak in six years, declining 17.7% in yuan terms in September from a year earlier, widening from a 14.3% decrease in August. Exports fell 1.1% in September in yuan terms, compared with a 6.1% drop in August.
Automobile sales in China edged up 2.1% year-on-year in September to 2.20 million, snapping a five-month losing streak in the world's largest car market.
Global oil markets will remain oversupplied next year as demand growth slows and Iranian exports recover with the lifting of sanctions, the International Energy Agency said. While non-Opec supplies will decline in response to lower prices, demand growth will ease from this year's five-year high amid a weaker outlook for the world economy, allowing the crude surplus to endure.
Porametee Vimolsiri, the new secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), remains optimistic that government stimulus measures will lead to economic growth between 2.7% and 3.2% this year as projected despite sinking exports.
Less upbeat was former central bank chairman Virabongsa Ramangkura, who said last week that it could take at least five years for the Thai economy to emerge from its current weak cycle.
Tris Rating forecasts GDP growth this year of 2.5%, driven mainly by public expenditure and investment coupled with tourism expansion, offsetting a 5% contraction in exports. It expects GDP expansion next year between 2.5% and 3%.
The cabinet approved tax breaks aimed at reviving the property sector, stimulating startups and rebuilding investor confidence. For homes priced below 3 million baht, transfer and mortgage fees will be cut to 0.01% of appraisal prices for six months, and buyers can deduct 20% of the house price from personal taxable income over five years. GH Bank is easing loan criteria and has 10 billion baht in mortgage funding available.
Future economic policy will focus less on stimulus programmes and more on medium-term reforms aimed at rebuilding competitiveness and reducing income inequality, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak told the Post Forum last Thursday. He said a shift was needed from the export-led growth model to one that is more inclusive of the entire population.
Commercial banks' bad loans are expected to climb by up to 0.8 percentage points to 3.3% of outstanding credit by year-end, while the credit quality of SME and retail loans will remain under stress over the next 12-18 months, warns Standard & Poor's (S&P). Part of the rise reflects the massive financial restructuring needed by Sahaviriya Steel Industries Plc (SSI), it said.
Thai banks' asset quality is expected to deteriorate further over the next six to 12 months, Fitch Ratings warns, with the biggest downside risk in the small-business segment.
Offshore capital is flooding the Thai bond market, with half of the first nine months' fund outflows coming during just the first 12 days of October. Analysts attribute the shift to the expected delay in a US rate hike. Offshore funds totalling 52.2 billion baht entered the bond market in the first 12 days of this month, compared with an outflow of 104 billion in the nine months to September, said the Thai Bond Market Association (TBMA).
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has set Nov 12 as the date for auctioning two licences on the 900-megahertz spectrum, one day after the auctions for two 1800-MHz licences. The reserve price for a 900-MHz licence is 12.9 billion baht, or 80% of the estimated real value. Four bidders are seeking 1800-MHz licences. They are Advanced Wireless Network, the 3G arm of Advanced Info Service Plc; DTAC TriNet; True Move H Universal Communication; and Jas Mobile Broadband, a subsidiary of Jasmine International Plc. The reserve price is 15.9 billion baht, or 80% of the estimated value. If only two bidders qualify, the reserve price will increase to 19.89 billion.
Bangkok Airways (BA) says it is on course to beat its full-year revenue and net profit growth targets of 10-15% despite tough competition. The airline is confident of achieving its passenger volume target of 5.4 million this year, up from 4.7 million in 2014
Coming up this week: China today will release its third-quarter GDP figures, industrial production and retail sales for September, and fixed-asset investment data for August.
US housing starts in September and the euro zone balance of payments for August will be released tomorrow, followed by Japanese trade data for September on Wednesday.
The European Central Bank will meet on Thursday, with some analysts suggesting policymakers might expand their stimulus programme.
The Markit US manufacturing PMI for this month and euro zone PMI will be available on Friday.
Stocks to watch: Thanachart Securities has a buy recommendation on ITD because of gains from infrastructure investments and a higher upside than its industry peers. AOT will gain from the high tourism season, while PS stands to gain the most in its sector from property stimulus measures. CPALL is expected to benefit from improved domestic consumption as stimulus measures take hold.
CIMB Securities (Thailand) has buy recommendations on hotels, tourismrelated stocks, electronics and hospitals. It also recommends stocks seen as laggards, including ADVANC, INTUCH and SCC.
Technical view: Thanachart Securities sees support at 1,410 points with near-term resistance at 1,430 and then 1,440. CIMB Securities (Thailand) puts support at 1,400 points and resistance at 1,440.