Investors urge SET-listed companies to adjust to ‘new normal’
Investors have encouraged listed companies to adjust their businesses for the “new normal” era, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) said.
The message was delivered by many of the 10,000 domestic and foreign investors participating in the online "Thailand Focus 2020" event on August 26, SET president Pakorn Peetathawatchai said.
"Most investors were interested in listed companies' business directions, especially business restructuring to meet consumers' needs in the new normal era, cost and investment management for business expansion and acquisition, and the Covid-19 impact on companies profitability," he said.
"Meanwhile, most investors were more concerned about international factors than domestic factors, including economic policy and market conditions."
Many were interested in industries showing significant recovery, such as packaging, agriculture products, electronic products and construction materials, Pakorn said.
Thai listed companies had adjusted in four ways since the Covid-19 outbreak, he added. They had improved products in line with consumers' needs in the “new normal” era, changed workflows and applied technologies, developed employees' potential, and managed liquidity to secure firm business operations.
The SET’s strategy for rest of this year would focus on accelerating operations and increasing investment products in various currencies, such as debt instruments and mutual funds, he said.
Pakorn predicted that industries with an important role in the new normal era , such as food delivery, logistics, and tourism, would perform well in the SET.
"These businesses have changed, especially the service industry where market capitalisation has increased up to 30 per cent," he added.
The SET is currently developing a platform for small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) and start-ups to seek funding sources, said Manpong Senanarong, senior executive vice president at the exchange.
"We expect this platform to be ready for use in the middle of next year," he said. "Currently, we are talking with financial institutions and considering companies that have the potential to participate in this project."
