Capital market to diversify, internationalise products and services further despite satisfactory per
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THE THAI capital market this year will continue to increase the diversification and internationalisation of its products and services, Stock Exchange of Thailand president Kesara Manchusree said yesterday.
Meanwhile, despite the impact of the internal political situation during the first half of 2014, the SET posted a satisfactory performance last year, as reflected in trading value and volume in both equities and derivatives, she said.
At the end of the third quarter, the number of trading accounts on the bourse hit 1 million for the first time, as a result of investor demand, the SET’s activities to enhance investor knowledge, and collaboration with asset-management firms and financial institutions to expand the quality investor bases nationwide, she added.
The number of Internet trading accounts rose by almost 30 per cent from the end of 2013 to 779,318 as of the end of November, and is likely to continue growing.
This year, the SET will enhance information channels via its website and social media to respond to investors’ increasingly digital lifestyle, said the bourse chief.
The average daily trading value last year was Bt45.47 billion, considered to be the highest in Asean for the third consecutive year, while average daily derivatives trading volume reached 147,025 contracts.
As a regional financial hub, the stock exchange’s quality has increasingly been recognised by various international organisations, Kesara said. She added that the SET had joined the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative last year, becoming the first exchange in Asean to pledge commitment to the promotion of sustainability within its capital markets.
In terms of new fund-raising, Bt304.8 billion was generated last year through 45 initial public offerings.
Among these, Impact Growth Real Estate Investment Trust became the first REIT to be listed on the SET in October, with a value of Bt15.71 billion.
Moreover, five exchange-traded funds tracking the SET50 as well as four global indices – the S&P 500 Index, MSCI EMU Index, MSCI Japan Index and MSCI Emerging Index – were launched last year.
This year, the SET aims to diversify into government infrastructure fund and international products to serve investor needs, specifically accommodating companies in Greater Mekong Subregion countries wishing to raise funds on the Thai capital market, Kesara said.
As for sustainable development, the SET has become an outstanding bourse with high potential in the region in many aspects, she said.
Last year, MSCI added four Thai stocks into the MSCI Global Standard Indices, the highest number of additions in Asia.
Dow Jones included 10 Thai listed companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, the highest number of additions for any Asean member state.
The Asean CG Scorecard, meanwhile, showed an average corporate-governance score of 75.39 for Thai listed companies, the highest within Asean for a second consecutive year.
The SET is also continuously developing its information-technology system, she said.
Last year, a new derivatives trading and clearing system was implemented under the same platform as the SET Connect security trading system.
In the second quarter of this year, the bourse will launch a new cutting-edge clearing system for equities, facilitating efficiency for international transactions and the SET’s business expansion, she added.
