Recap: Global stock markets fell to two-week lows yesterday, with steelmakers taking a pounding after US President Donald Trump said he would impose hefty tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium, reviving fears of a trade war.
On the domestic front, the SET index moved in a range of 1,809.33 to 1,852.51 before closing at 1,811.98, up 0.2% on the week, in high trade value averaging 80.8 billion baht a day for four operating days.
Foreign investors continued to be net sellers of 6.98 billion baht. On the other hand, retail investors were net buyers of 2.98 billion baht, while brokerage firms and institutional investors bought 2.42 billion and 1.58 billion worth of shares.
Newsmakers: The US plans to slap tougher tariffs on steel and aluminium imports after an investigation by trade officials. The Commerce Department said metal was being sold below cost or with government subsidies -- making it impossible for US producers to compete. Canada and the EU said they would bring forward their own countermeasures to the steep new tariffs, while Mexico, China and Brazil are also weighing retaliatory steps.
Unemployment across the 19-country euro zone fell to its lowest level in a little over nine years on the back of strong economic growth, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency.
Japan's unemployment rate hit a 25-year low in January and job availability stayed at a two-decade high, government data showed, offering policymakers hope that a strengthening economic recovery will nudge firms to raise wages.
China shocked many observers by proposing a constitutional amendment to end the two-term limit for presidents, giving incumbent Xi Jinping a clear path to rule the world's second-largest economy for life.
Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 30-year prison term for former South Korean president Park Geun-hye for alleged bribery, abuse of power and other crimes in a landmark corruption case that marked a stunning fall from grace for the country's first female leader and conservative icon.
Taiwan's premier called for calm Tuesday after a desperate run on toilet paper sparked by speculation of imminent price hikes.
Cryptocurrencies are killing people in a "fairly direct way", Microsoft founder Bill Gates said in an online discussion. He was referring to the way digital currencies like bitcoin are used to buy drugs like the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand and stakeholders in the domestic capital market introduced a two-day clearing and settlement cycle (T+2) yesterday, a move intended to reduce settlement risk and upgrade the bourse's competitiveness.
The amended draft bill of the Securities and Exchange Act will empower the Securities and Exchange Commission's board of directors to formulate a mechanism to govern investment of fund management companies, lessening their investment in products related to their parent firms.
Krungthai Bank became the second financial institution after Bangkok Bank to terminate transactions involving trading of cryptocurrencies with the Thai Digital Asset Exchange (TDAX), following the Finance Ministry's order.
MAI-listed Project Planning Service Plc (PPS) is set to unveil Thailand's first securities initial coin offering (ICO) next month, with the raised funds expected to be preserved by a custodian bank.
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a criminal complaint against the former chairman of SET-listed Inter Far East Energy Corporation Plc (IFEC) for failure to disclose information about the company's bill of exchange (B/E) default.
Thailand's export growth is likely to be moderately above the Bank of Thailand's 4% estimate for this year in light of the robust pace in January and its bright outlook, while the purchasing power of low-income earners in January remained weak, says the Bank of Thailand.
The government's revenue collection surpassed the target by 4% for the four months to January, largely driven by higher-than-expected contributions from state enterprises and other state agencies.
SET-listed PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) announced that Mozambique LNG1 Company Pte Ltd, the jointly owned sales entity of PTTEP, and other partners in the Mozambique Rovuma Offshore Area 1 project entered into a long-term liquefied natural gas sale and purchase agreement with Electricite de France, an integrated electricity company headquartered in France.
CAT Telecom's labour union yesterday filed a lawsuit against the Digital Economy and Society Ministry in the Central Administrative Court, aiming to scrap the process of creating two new companies from CAT Telecom and TOT Plc.
Coming up: China, the US, the EU, France and Germany will release the purchasing manager index of the services sector for February on Monday. The EU and France will also release retail sales for January on the same day. Elsewhere, Malaysia will release import-export and trade balance for January, with the US set to release the ISM-non manufacturing index for February.
On Tuesday, the US will release factory orders for January, with Japan releasing foreign reserves for February. Australia will release retail sales for January on the same day.
Japan will release the coincident indicator for January and the leading index on Wednesday, while Britain will release the home price index for February. The EU will release the third estimate for the bloc's GDP growth in the final quarter of 2017, while the US will release the ADP non-farm employment change for February, non-farm productivity for last year's final quarter, trade balance for January, unit labour cost for the final quarter, and the beige book from the US Federal Reserve.
On Thursday, Japan will release the latest estimation for its GDP growth for last year's final quarter and current account data for January. Elsewhere, China and Australia will release export-import and trade balance for January, while the European Central Bank will make an interest rate decision and the US will release an initial jobless claim.
Stocks to watch: DBS Vickers Securities Thailand recommends AMATA, IVL, KKP and ERW. High-dividend stocks for accumulative buy are KKP, LH, PSH, LALIN and SENA. Maybank Kim Eng Securities Thailand recommends accumulative buy of fundamental leading stocks in each business sector, including BJC, IRPC, ADVANC, BH, ERW, IVL, BGRIM, GOLD, LH, ATP30 and JUBILE.
Technical View: DBS Vickers Securities Thailand sees SET index support at 1,780 and resistance at 1,840. UOB Kay Hian Securities sees support at 1,800 and resistance at 1,850.
