SET down more than 1.5% as fear of US rate rise hits Asian markets
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,548.13 on Thursday, down 23.72 points or 1.51 per cent. The volume of total transactions was THB143.71 billion with an index high of 1,561.80 and a low of 1,501.02.
In the morning session, Krungsri Securities forecast the index on Thursday would fall to between 1,555 and 1,560 points after the US recorded a higher-than-expected inflation rise in April’s Consumer Price Index, triggering worries of a rate hike and tapering of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve.
The index would be under pressure from a weakening baht, foreign fund outflows and the SET’s move to impose cash-balance regulations on Delta Electronics shares, Krungsri Securities added.
“However, mass buy-ups of stocks that gain positive sentiment and whose first-quarter performance is likely to improve would help boost the index,” it predicted.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were CPALL, TIDLOR, STA, KBANK, STGT, PTT, SAWAD, PTTGC, IVL and SCGP.
Other Asian indices were on the fall:
Japan's Nikkei Index closed at 27,448.01, down 699.50 points or 2.49 per cent.
China's Shanghai SE Composite Index closed at 3,429.54, down 33.22 points or 0.96 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 13,917.65, down 147.21 points or 1.05 per cent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed at 27,718.67, down 512.37 points or 1.81 per cent.
South Korea's KOSPI closed at 3,122.11, down 39.55 points or 1.25 per cent.
Taiwan's TAIEX Index closed at 15,670.10, down 232.27 points or 1.46 per cent.
