Higher Open Tipped For Thai Stock Market

(RTTNews) - The Thai stock market has alternated between positive and negative finishes through the last four trading days since the end of the two-day winning streak in which it had improved more than 25 points or 2 percent. The Stock Exchange of Thailand now rests just above the 1,250-point plateau and it may pick up steam on Monday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is upbeat on an improved outlook for interest rates. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are expected to follow that lead.

The SET finished barely higher on Friday as gains from the food, industry, resource and technology sectors were capped by weakness among the finance, property and services stocks.

For the day, the index perked 0.49 points or 0.04 percent to finish at 1,254.09 after trading between 1,251.95 and 1,265.09. Volume was 5.269 billion shares worth 32.668 billion baht. There were 238 decliners and 197 gainers, with 223 stocks finishing unchanged.

Among the actives, Advanced Info lost 0.62 percent, while Thailand Airport rose 0.49 percent, Asset World skidded 0.97 percent, Bangkok Bank sank 0.86 percent, Bangkok Dusit Medical stumbled 2.58 percent, Bangkok Expressway contracted 0.95 percent, B. Grimm slumped 0.68 percent, BTS Group plunged 3.54 percent, CP All Public fell 0.58 percent, Energy Absolute declined 1.47 percent, Gulf climbed 1.18 percent, Kasikornbank retreated 1.54 percent, Krung Thai Bank dropped 0.87 percent, PTT improved 0.79 percent, PTT Exploration and Production rallied 2.76 percent, PTT Global Chemical advanced 0.91 percent, SCG Packaging strengthened 1.64 percent, Siam Commercial Bank shed 0.71 percent, Siam Concrete added 0.51 percent, Thai Oil gained 0.64 percent and True Corporation, TTB Bank, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Krung Thai Card, Banpu and PTT Oil & Retail were unchanged.

The lead from Wall Street is positive as the major averages opened higher on Friday and remained in the green throughout the trading day, ending near session highs.

The Dow jumped 237.96 points or 0.48 percent to finish at a record 49,504.07, while the NASDAQ rallied 191.33 points or 0.81 percent to end at 23,671.35 and the S&P 500 added 44.82 points or 0.65 percent to close at 6,966.28, also a record.

For the week, the Dow surged 2.3 percent, the NASDAQ jumped 1.9 percent and the S&P climbed 1.6 percent.

The strength on Wall Street reflected a positive reaction to the Labor Department's closely watched report on employment in December. With the report showing employment increased less than expected in December, the data has led to optimism about the outlook for interest rates.

While the Federal Reserve is still widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its next meeting later this month, the report has increased confidence in further rate cuts later this year.

Crude oil prices surged on Friday amid near-term supply concerns due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, a decline in U.S. inventories, and OPEC's decision to pause output increases. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery was up $1.58 or 2.74 percent at $59.34 per barrel.