Bualuang Securities (BLS) plans to provide integrated securities services by offering global stock investment and trading applications in the first half.
BLS president Pichet Sithi-Amnuai said the company plans to open its global securities trading service in the top three markets for activity -- the US, Hong Kong and Vietnam -- in May.
The three markets will cover Thai investors' need for overseas investment. The company found these markets are the most popular with investors.
"BLS is behind other brokerage firms in terms of global securities services, but we can compensate by providing an efficient trading system with low fees," said Mr Pichet.
Managing director Bannarong Pichyakorn said the company also plans to launch a new trading application, called "Trader Master", as another trading service application for clients in addition to Streaming Pro, a trading application and investment portal provided by the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Trader Master was developed with Seoul-based Daichin Securities to provide securities trading and other investment products, offering investors greater efficiency in daily securities trading.
He said the company recognises the volume of internet trading has increased, with around 90% of retail investors using this method for securities trading.
Internet trading accounts for 70% of BLS's total trading volume.
BLS has 350,000 trading accounts in total, growing by 30,000 accounts per year. The firm has a 4.6% market share among domestic securities firms.
Revenue in 2018 mainly came from brokerage fees, comprising 60%, with trading and other investment services making up the rest.
Last year BLS launched a depository receipt service that invests in Vietnam's large-cap stocks, with the asset size of this investment increasing to around 1.2 billion baht.
Mr Bannarong said the firm plans to continue issuing new derivative warrants as well as providing securities borrowing and lending (SBL), with the company providing SBL up to 30 billion baht in terms of stock valuation.
The company's SBL business has continued growing together with its block trade business as investors prefer these methods for investing in single stock futures on the Thailand Futures Exchange.
"BLS has a full range of products and services for our securities business and will continue modifying the business model to serve investors' needs," said Mr Pichet. "Diversity and using technology to offer products and services are strategies to generate greater profit and long-term sustainable growth."
