SET dives more than 2% as semi-lockdown looms in Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,543.67 on Thursday, down 32.93 points or 2.09 per cent. Transactions totalled THB110.95 billion with an index high of 1,567.33 and a low of 1,540.56.
In the morning session, Krungsri Securities forecast the index on Thursday would drop to between 1,565 and 1,570 points due to the falling oil price and moves for a partial lockdown in Thailand after health authorities warned Covid-19 cases could soar to 10,000 per day next week.
Thailand recorded a new high of 7,058 new cases and 75 deaths on Thursday in a third-wave outbreak driven by the super-transmissible Delta variant.
Also pressuring the SET Index is the outflow of foreign funds in line with the weakening baht, Krungsri Securities said.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were KBANK, PTT, PTTEP, BDMS, BANPU, BBL, RCL, SCB, CHG and GUNKUL.
Other Asian indices were on the fall except for Taiwan:
Japan's Nikkei Index closed at 28,118.03, down 248.92 points or 0.88 per cent.
China's Shanghai SE Composite Index closed at 3,525.50, down 28.21 points or 0.79 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 14,882.90, down 57.14 points or 0.38 per cent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed at 27,153.13, down 807.49 points or 2.89 per cent.
South Korea's KOSPI closed at 3,252.68, down 32.66 points or 0.99 per cent.
Taiwan's TAIEX closed at 17,866.09, up 15.40 points or 0.086 per cent.
