Thai Stock Market May Extend Friday's Gains

(RTTNews) - Ahead of Monday's holiday for Coronation Day, the Thai stock market has bounced higher again, one day after ending the two-day winning streak in which it had added almost 10 points or 0.7 percent. The Stock Exchange of Thailand now sits just beneath the 1,370-point plateau and it's likely to move higher again on Tuesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is upbeat on renewed optimism over the outlook for interest rates. The European and U.S. markets were firmly higher and the Asian markets are predicted to open in similar fashion. The SET finished modestly higher on Friday as gains from the resource, service and technology stocks were tempered by weakness from the food and finance companies. For the day, the index added 6.67 points or 0.49 percent to finish at 1,369.92 after trading between 1,364.26 and 1,372.72. Volume was 12.500 billion shares worth 37.541 billion baht. There were 256 gainers and 190 decliners, with 217 stocks finishing unchanged. Among the actives, Thailand Airport rose 0.38 percent, while Bangkok Bank fell 0.37 percent, Bangkok Dusit Medical gathered 0.87 percent, Bangkok Expressway jumped 1.82 percent, B. Grimm spiked 2.91 percent, CP All Public sank 0.85 percent, Charoen Pokphand Foods dropped 0.98 percent, Energy Absolute rallied 2.48 percent, Gulf gained 0.61 percent, Krung Thai Bank collected 0.60 percent, Krung Thai Card climbed 1.17 percent, PTT Oil & Retail advanced 1.08 percent, PTT accelerated 1.50 percent, PTT Global Chemical increased 1.00 percent, Siam Concrete strengthened 1.62 percent, Thai Oil added 1.41 percent, True Corporation improved 1.24 percent and TTB Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, PTT Exploration and Production, SCG Packaging, Asset World, Advanced Info, Banpu and BTS Group were unchanged. The lead from Wall Street is broadly positive as the major averages opened higher on Monday and remained firmly in the green throughout the trading day.

The Dow advanced 176.59 points or 0.46 percent to finish at 38,852.27, while the NASDAQ rallied 192.92 points or 1.19 percent to close at 16,349.25 and the S&P 500 improved 52.95 points or 1.03 percent to end at 5,180.74.

Stocks continued to benefit from the upward momentum seen over the two previous sessions, which partly reflected renewed optimism about the outlook for interest rates.

Relatively dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell combined with weaker-than-expected job growth in April have largely eliminated short-lived concerns the Fed might actually consider raising rates.

Investors have instead grown increasingly confident about a rate cut in the coming months, with the chances rates will be lower by September now at 83.5 percent, according to CME Group's FedWatch Tool.

Crude oil futures settled modestly higher on Monday following Saudi Arabia's decision to hike its selling price for the European and Asian markets. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for June ended higher by $0.37 or 0.47 percent at $78.48 a barrel. Closer to home, Thailand will provide April numbers for consumer prices later today; in March, overall inflation was down 0.47 percent on year, while core CPI rose an annual 0.37 percent.