The value of average daily trading of derivative warrants has hit a new high this year at Bt9.9 billion, up 46 per cent from Bt6.8 billion last year, a KGI Securities (Thailand) expert said on Tuesday.
Janewit Chinkunkunniwat, managing director of KGI Securities’ Derivatives Business Division, said the trading value of derivative warrants from January 1 to March 26 was Bt576 billion thanks to the bounce in Thai stock market.
He said most investors had bought more call warrants rather than put warrants. The top five derivative warrants popular among investors are Krung Thai Card (KTC) with a trading value of Bt14 billion, followed by Global Power Synergy (GPSC) of Bt11.8 billion, Energy Absolute (EA) of Bt11.7 billion, Sri Trang Agro-Industry (STA) of Bt9.8 billion and Srisawad Corporation (SAWAD) of Bt8.9 billion.
“We expect the trading value of derivative warrants to rise further as it accounts for 10 per cent of the capital market,” he said.
KGI Securities has launched 260 derivative warrants in the first three months of this year, compared to 812 for the whole of last year.
“We expect to launch approximately 1,000 derivative warrants by the end of this year,” he added.
Atthanan Piyaseth, head of structured products at Bualuang Securities, expects investors to spend on derivative warrants related to the country reopening in the second quarter of this year.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index rose by 6.24 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 1,590.13 in the morning session on Tuesday.
A Krungsri Securities analyst expected the index to rise to between 1,590 and 1,600 during the day in line with the direction of US and Asian indices.
He said the index also gained positive sentiment from rising oil price as Russia supported Opec+ on maintaining oil production until May this year.
However, rising US bond yield and volatility due to a rollover in Thailand Futures Exchange market would pressure the index, he said.
He advised investors to follow US President Joe Biden’s US$3-trillion infrastructure plan.
He recommended that investors buy:
▪︎ AOT, MINT, CENTEL, AAV, BA, CPN, CRC and MAJOR, which benefit from positive news of Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand.
▪︎ HANA, KCE, TU and CPF, which benefit from the weakening baht.
▪︎ CBG, ICHI, SAPPE, RBF, DOD, IP, TACC, GUNKUL and KISS, which benefit from positive news on hemp production and its general use.
▪︎ PTG, EA, GPSC and BBP, which benefit from news that Thailand will stop sales of conventional motor vehicles by 2035 and go in solely for electric vehicles.
The SET Index closed at 1,583.89 on Monday, up 9.03 points or 0.57 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt71 billion with an index high of 1,592.47 and a low of 1,580.90.
The price of gold dropped by Bt200 per baht weight in morning trade on Tuesday, the Thai Gold Traders Association reported.
As of 9.29am, the buying price of a gold bar was Bt25,200 per baht weight and selling price Bt25,300, while gold ornaments were priced at Bt24,741.12 and Bt25,800, respectively.
At close on Monday, the buying price of a gold bar was Bt25,400 per baht weight and selling price Bt25,500, while gold ornaments were Bt24,938.20 and Bt26,000, respectively.
Spot gold price dropped to US$1,710 (Bt53,383) per ounce on Tuesday after falling by $20.1 to $1,714.6 on Monday, the lowest in three weeks, due to strengthening dollar.
Meanwhile, the market is keeping an eye on US President Joe Biden’s announcement on the $3-trillion infrastructure plan on Wednesday.
Hong Kong gold price dropped by HK$120 to $15,880 (Bt63,779) per tael, the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society reported.
By Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Claire Ballentine, Olivia Raimonde
U.S. stocks dropped from record highs as investors weighed the potential fallout from forced block sales on the rest of Wall Street. Oil rose and Treasury yields climbed higher.
The financials sector weighed on the benchmark S&P 500 for much of the day following revelations that banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley liquidated holdings in Bill Hwang’s family office Archegos Capital Management on Friday after he failed to meet margin calls. Boeing Co. lifted the Dow Jones industrial average to another all-time high after the aircraft maker announced a large order. The Nasdaq Composite finished in the red.
“Investors are whistling in the dark as they try to determine how wide the Archegos-related pain will spread,” said Adam Phillips, director of portfolio strategy at EP Wealth Advisors. “You’re seeing a tug-of-war play out between those who believe the situation is benign and those who worry about a systemic risk.”
Small ripples of the forced unwind were felt in credit markets. Nomura had to take the rare step of canceling a bond deal that had already priced after its loss warning. The investment grade credit default swaps index, a gauge of U.S. credit fear, was relatively calm, even though traders are demanding a higher cost to hedge against losses on the debt of banks that have been caught up in the Archegos situation, including Nomura and Credit Suisse.
A dollar gauge rose and 10-year U.S. Treasury yields pushed higher. The Stoxx 600 gauge extended its highest level in 13 months.
Investors have been focusing on the strength of the recovery, aided by vaccines, and inflation risks. Later this week, U.S. President Joe Biden plans to unveil a further stimulus program with a tilt toward infrastructure. U.S.-China ties are also in focus, after a report that Washington isn’t ready to lift tariffs on Chinese imports in the near future, but may be open to trade talks.
“Now, as we talk about additional stimulus — there will still be some of that — but you are going to have to start to balance it with the proposed tax increases,” said Jeff Mills, chief investment officer of Bryn Mawr Trust. “Because as we talk about more and more spending, it becomes very clear that taxes are going to increase, it’s just a matter of by how much.”
West Texas Intermediate crude swung between gains and losses before turning higher. Traders focused on the demand impact of renewed coronavirus lockdowns before the OPEC+ policy discussions on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Ever Given was freed to allow the reopening of the Suez Canal.
Elsewhere, Bitcoin headed for the biggest one-day gain in two weeks.
These are some of the main moves in financial markets:
Stocks
The S&P 500 Index declined 0.1% to 3,971.10 as of 4:05 p.m. EDT.
The Dow Jones industrial average increased 0.3% to 33,171.37, the highest on record.
The Nasdaq Composite Index sank 0.6% to 13,059.65.
The Nasdaq 100 Index fell 0.1% to 12,965.74.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index climbed 0.2% to 427.61, the highest in about 13 months.
Currencies
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index increased 0.2% to 1,150.47.
The euro dipped 0.2% to $1.1765.
The British pound fell 0.2% to $1.3761.
The Japanese yen depreciated 0.1% to 109.80 per dollar, the weakest in a year.
Bonds
The yield on 10-year Treasurys increased three basis points to 1.71%, the highest in more than a week.
The yield on 30-year Treasurys advanced three basis points to 2.41%, the highest in more than a week.
Germany’s 10-year yield gained three basis points to -0.32%, the highest in a week.
Britain’s 10-year yield advanced three basis points to 0.788%, the highest in a week on the largest gain in more than a week.
Commodities
West Texas Intermediate crude gained 1% to $61.56 a barrel, the highest in more than a week.
Gold depreciated 1.2% to $1,711.50 an ounce, the weakest in three weeks on the largest drop in almost four weeks.
The St Regis Bangkok is celebrating its 10th anniversary in April, with a month-long series of immersive activities.
To mark a decade in the Thai capital, Marriott International is showcasing The St Regis’s storied heritage, which dates from 1904, with a series of signature rituals inspired by Caroline Astor, doyenne of the Gilded Age and matriarch of The St Regis brand’s founding family.
A prominent 19th-century socialite, Mrs Astor was the mother of Colonel John Jacob “JJ” Astor IV (from whom the hotel’s teddy bear gets its name), who founded The St Regis New York as a place to pursue his epicurean passions and entertain the city’s luminaries.
Celebrating The St Regis Bangkok’s 10th anniversary, guests can follow in Mrs Astor’s footsteps and engage in the brand’s signature rituals, including a Siam Mary cocktail class (the hotel’s reimagined version of the classic Bloody Mary, which was originally created at The St Regis New York’s King Cole Bar in 1934), and a private sabering, the ritual adopted by JJ Astor to mark the transition from day to evening.
Once considered a glamorous gathering for the city’s high society, afternoon tea was a favourite pastime of Mrs Astor, who transformed the occasion into a private social event for 400 personally invited guests. Today, Time for Tea remains a quintessential tradition of The St Regis. In honour of Mrs. Astor, The St Regis Bangkok has created a special “Caroline’s Afternoon Tea”, which will be available throughout April and May.
St Regis butlers will offer exclusive services, such as packing and unpacking, signature beverage services, garment pressing and more, as they have done for over a century.
“More than a century since The St Regis was founded in New York, its legacy of impeccable services and spirit of innovation is kept very much alive at 45 hotels and resorts around the world,,” said Klaus Christandl, general manager, The St Regis Bangkok.
“As we look back at the past decade, we can feel proud to have set new standards of service in a Kingdom already famed for its hospitality,” he added.
Promotion available for bookings at The House of Astor with an exclusive room from April 1-30, and stays until September 30.
For more information and reservations, call +66 (0) 2207 7777 or visit www.stregisbangkok.com.
Thai- German project to upscale sanitizer production to reduce spread of Covid-19
Mar 29. 2021
By THE NATION
A Thai-German collaboration aims to help tackle Covid-19 by upscaling sanitizer production in Thailand and promoting hand hygiene.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr Kittinan Anakamanee, CEO of the Healthcare Accreditation Institute of Thailand (Public Organization), Reinhold Elges, director Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Thailand, and Sayan Roy, managing director of B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd for implementation of the project in response to the Covid-19 situation in Thailand.
The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Jan Scheer, deputy head of mission and head of economic affairs at the embassy of Germany.
The collaboration of the three partners aims to improve Covid-19 prevention through investment in the increase in additional capacity of softa-gel alcohol hand sanitizer, which has been tested as global standards EN 14476 efficacy against enveloped virus including the coronavirus, EN 1500 recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) and EN 1276 with Department of Medical Sciences recommendation. The alcohol hand rub will be given to healthcare personnel at 55 selected healthcare facilities in high-risk zones as well as low-income farmer groups in rural farming communities in Thailand.
In addition, the project will develop e-learning modules for communities and healthcare personnel to update knowledge of hand hygiene and self-protection.
mu Space gets BOI investment incentives to compete in global space industry
Mar 29. 2021
By The Nation
Satellite and space technology company mu Space and Advanced Technology Co Ltd has secured Board of Investment (BOI) investment promotion privileges to compete in the international space technology market.
mu Space is granted A1 level of investment promotion incentives and privileges, the highest rank of any eligible incentives, with the manufacturing of its small satellite components in a category of high technology industry; manufacture or repair of aircraft, or aerospace devices and equipment section.
The company said its investment plan focuses on two aspects — machinery, and research and development.
The main objective of mu Space’s investment in machinery is to serve the manufacturing process. These machines include raw materials and equipment both domestically and internationally made, such as 3D printer or additive manufacturing, CNC machine, robotic Arms, Attitude Control Test Bed, Air bearing, helmholtz cage, and sun simulator. For investments in R&D and spacecraft engineering systems, the company plans to impart knowledge on satellites and space technology.
mu Space founder and CEO,Varayuth ‘James’ Yenbamroong, said: “Innovations that blend technology and art need the use of knowledge on real science, engineering, and fundamental thinking that our team has implemented earnestly.”
The CEO strongly views the company’s young team members as mu Space’s strength.
“We have a group of young-generation personnel that have high capability. Thailand also has the advantages of natural resources and energy as well as existing infrastructure from heavy industry like automotive manufacturing.”
mu space is granted BOI incentives and privileges including eight years of exemption from corporate income tax, exemption of import duties on machinery, exemption of import duties on raw materials used in R&D, exemption of import duties on raw materials used in production of export, as well as merit on decentralisation which is a 50 per cent reduction of income tax for another 5 years, along with other privileges that are not tax-related.
“Our plan in the next 3-5 years is generating thousands of highly paid jobs, offering higher payments for talents in the new technology circle, and boosting more trading within the community. We hope to eventually establish a high technology ecosystem that attracts people’s attention and interest in technology,” says James.
Key groups of mu space’s clients are private companies such as telecommunications and internet service providers, state enterprises such as space and defence agencies, heavy industry, and other aerospace companies.
“We are the first mover in Asean and often compared with other players in Europe, the US, and Australia. What we have already invested will begin to take off within the next 3-5 years”, added the CEO.
mu space team is currently developing Space Internet Data Center. The company is also expanding its operations to a new factory (size M), which is 10 times bigger than its original one and helps increase production capacity. The company is planning to launch its self-developed satellite and space technology at mu space’s technology day event. This satellite will have its first actual test launch into space and will be ready for service within 2021, the company said.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,583.89 on Monday, up 9.03 points or 0.57 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt71 billion with an index high of 1,592.47 and a low of 1,580.90.
In the morning session, Krungsri Securities expected the day’s index to rise to between 1,580 and 1,585 points in response to the rise in the US consumer confidence index.
He said the index would gain positive sentiment from mass buy-ups of shares as window dressing before the end of the first quarter this year.
“However, the index will be under pressure due to rising US bond yield and volatility in fund flows,” he said.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were BANPU, CPALL, PTT, ACE, SCC, OR, BTS, AEONTS, VGI and PTTGC.
Other Asian indices were up with one exception:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 29,384.52, up 207.82 points or 0.71 per cent.
China’s Shang Hai SE Composite Index closed at 3,435.30, up 16.97 points or 0.50 per cent, while Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 13,771.26, up 1.58 points or 0.011 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 28,338.30, up 1.87 points or 0.0066 per cent.
Taiwan’s TAIEX Index closed at 16,475.97, up 170.09 points or 1.04 per cent.
However, South Korea’s KOSPI closed at 3,036.04, down 4.97 points or 0.16 per cent.
To tackle the illegal use of digital assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is framing regulations to allow digital asset custodial wallet providers to seek a licence.
SEC secretary-general Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol said that if there were no change in regulations, the commission could request permission from the Finance Ministry to make an announcement as soon as possible.
She said the regulations would allow digital asset custodial wallet providers to take care of customers’ digital assets worth less than Bt15 million by themselves, but those who take care of customers’ digital assets worth more than Bt15 million must deposit such assets with digital asset custodians.
“Currently, digital asset custodial wallet providers who take care of customers’ digital assets worth more than Bt15 million are using digital asset custody services in foreign countries that were not under Thailand’s laws,” she said.
“Meanwhile, we found that digital assets can be used in illegal ways, such as for drugs and money laundering, as digital assets can conceal transaction information.”
She said a digital asset exchange had requested for real estate tokenisation with the SEC last week, adding that the commission will issue a licence to the company by the second quarter of this year.
“This move will help investors become familiar with new ways of investment,” she added.
Both domestic and overseas factors could influence the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the baht this week, Kasikornbank experts said on Sunday.
Kasikorn Securities said the SET Index’s support line is between 1,550 and 1,565 points, while its resistance line is between 1,585 and 1,600 points.
The securities company advised investors to follow the Covid-19 situation and vaccines, tensions between China and western countries, and Thailand’s political situation.
“US economic data that warrants close monitoring include manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index [PMI], non-farm payrolls, and jobless claims,” Kasikorn Securities said.
“Other important factors that warrant close monitoring include the euro-zone and Japan’s manufacturing PMI, plus Japan’s retail sales and industrial production.
The SET Index closed at 1,574.86 on Friday, up 0.70 per cent compared to the previous week. The average daily transaction was Bt84.75 billion, up 0.18 per cent compared to the previous week.
Meanwhile, Kasikornbank forecast the baht would move between 30.90 and 31.30 to the US dollar this week.
The bank advised investors to follow the Bank of Thailand’s financial and economic report for February, the Covid-19 situation and vaccines, and the direction of the US bond yield.
“US economic data that warrants close monitoring include non-farm payrolls, private employment, consumer confidence index, manufacturing PMI, home sales, and jobless claims,” Kasikornbank said.
“Other important factors that warrant close monitoring include China, euro-zone and Britain’s manufacturing and service PMI.”
The baht closed at 31.08 to the dollar on Friday, weakening from 30.85 in the previous week. The baht is at its weakest in four and a half months at Bt31.20 to the dollar this week.
Varayuth ‘James’ Yenbamroong, said: “Innovations that blend technology and art need the use of knowledge on real science, engineering, and fundamental thinking that our team has implemented earnestly.”
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