FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Stocks snap winning streak as oil pressure returns

Stocks snap winning streak as oil pressure returns

World stocks dipped after a three-day run of gains and emerging markets were back under pressure on Tuesday, as a sharp drop in oil prices following lacklustre economic data sparked renewed nerves.

 
The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index lost 12.04 points or 0.93 per cent to end the day at 1,285.30 points. Yesterday, it also lost 0.28 per cent on poor data from China as well as the massive recapitalisation by True Corp. True today lost another 3 per cent to Bt6.40.        
Tisco Securities advised investors to closely monitor fund inflows as well as earning results. 
Oil struggled to steady, having fallen as much as 7per cent on Monday, and the glum macro mood sweeping back though markets saw European shares follow Asia deep into the red.
        Britain's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were down 1.4-1.7 per cent as BP's biggest loss in 20 years and plans to cut thousands more jobs dovetailed with rating cuts by S&P for Shell and BHP Billiton to underscore commodity woes.
        Banks were hit too, with Swiss bank UBS slumping as much 8 per cent after signs its wealthy customers were pulling money out.
        In the currency markets, waning risk appetite nudged Japan's yen and the euro up against the dollar. But the greenback was squeezing the main emerging markets, up as much as1 per cent against the rouble, the rand, Mexico's peso and Malaysia's ringgit.
        The Australian dollar also slipped after the country's central bank held rates but left the door open to further easing after last week's surprise move by Japan into negative interest rates.
        "I don't think the market has much of a clue on what to focus on," said John Hardy head of FX strategy.
        "It doesn't seem too convinced with the narrative of hooray for central bank liquidity again, and the oil price going down and whole reserve destruction theme is bad for risk appetite."
        The lure of relative safety saw gains for benchmark US and European government bonds as Mario Draghi's reconfirmation on Monday that the ECB will 'review' its monetary policy next month gave yields an extra kick lower.
        Concern over oil still dominated. Brent and US crude oil  had tentatively steadied at $33.70 and $31.05 a barrel, having lost as much as 7 per cent overnight.
        The pressure remains after weak economic data from China, Europe and the United States, a U.S. forecast for mild weather and doubts that big oil producing countries would agree to cut the global supply glut.
        Oil production in Russia hit a post-Soviet high in January, reaching an average of 10.88 million barrels per day (bpd), data from its energy ministry showed.
        "(Prices) have just come back to reality a bit, although they are holding water above $30 a barrel," said Ben Le Brun, market analyst at Sydney's Options Xpress, pointing to concern over rising oil supplies and weaker economic data.
 
- Reuters 

 

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