Briefs

Overseas investors may further curb purchases of Thai equities amid concern over sovereign debt in Europe, said Veerathai Santiprabhob, chief strategy officer of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

"Investors have reduced their equity holdings in most emerging markets including Thailand because of the European debt problem," Veerathai told reporters yesterday. "Foreign fund inflows to the Thai stock market will slow further until this fear subsides."

Overseas investors sold a net Bt1.87 billion of Thai stocks, according to the SET's website. - Bloomberg

Big C campaign

Big C Supercenter plans to spend up to Bt100 million on its newest campaign called "Big C Festival", aimed at boosting growth next quarter to 9-10 per cent year on year.

The company has also budgeted Bt5 million to purchase rice from local farmers suffering from the floods, in cooperation with the Chaipattana Foundation. - The Nation

Warning on rice

Going long or short on the rice market may be a "dangerous" strategy as the policy in Thailand to buy at above-market prices has distorted rates, while the end to India's export ban on the non-basmati variety may push prices lower, Olam International said.

Thailand's rice shipments may decline next quarter, after the government boosted its buying price, raising export costs, Amit Gulrajani, general manager for rice trading at Olam, one of the world's three biggest suppliers of the grain, said at a conference in Singapore yesterday.

- Bloomberg

Solar-power deal

Ch Karnchang Plc said yesterday that it had signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Bangkhenchai Co for the eight-megawatt Solar Photovoltaic Power Park in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Thong Chai district.

In its filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the company said the contract is valued at Bt759.7 million. - The Nation

Brewer looks abroad

Tsingtao Brewery Co plans to set up plants overseas such as in Thailand, president Sun Mingbo said at the World Economic Forum in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian last week.

The beer-maker is interested in buying big and high-end breweries, Sun said. The company has no plan to raise prices in the short term, he said.

The sluggish European and US economies won't impact the company's overseas sales, he said. - Bloomberg