The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) main index ended March at 1,505.94 points up 0.6 percent from end-2014, but down 5.1 percent from a month earlier. Foreign investors were net buyers of equity market for the first time this year, worth THB 2.39 billion, as the market eased concerns after the Federal Reserve kept its policy rates unchanged, while the European Central Bank’s implementation of its QE policy, resulting in capital flow into global markets. Meanwhile, the combined market capitalization of SET and mai remained high at THB 14.51 trillion: SET's was THB 14.12 trillion, while mai's was THB 397.89 billion. The combined average trading value of SET and mai was THB 48.60 billion (approx. USD 1.47 billion).
Key highlights for March
Securities
- SET Index closed at 1,505.94 points at the end of March, up 0.6 percent from the end of 2014.
- At the end of March, the combined average trading value of SET and mai was THB 48.60 billion, down 18.32 percent from a month earlier. Overall in quarter 1/2015, the combined average trading value of SET and mai was THB 54.37 billion, jumping 76.44 percent from the previous quarter.
- At the end of March, the market capitalization of SET was THB 14.12 trillion, up 1.88 percent from end-2014, while mai’s was THB 397.88 billion, down 4.14 percent from end-2014.
- The forward P/E ratio of SET was 14.77 times, while mai’s was 21.03 times.
- The dividend yield of SET was 2.90 percent, while mai’s was 0.90 percent.
- Foreign investors were net buyers of equity market for the first time this year, worth THB 2.39 billion, accounting for 24.16 percent of total investors. However, in the first quarter of 2015, foreign investors were net sellers, worth THB 9.56 billion resulting from their net sales for two consecutive months from January to February.
- Listed companies on SET and mai raised funds through equity worth a combined THB 33.05 billion. In the primary market, THB 5.18 billion was raised from initial public offerings (IPOs) of a company on SET, while THB 27.87 billion was raised from the secondary market. In the first quarter of 2015, the combined fundraising of listed companies on SET and mai was THB 106.82 billion, a 4.3 times jump over the same period last year.
Derivatives
- In March, derivatives trading volume was 233,684 contracts, up 5.24 percent from a month earlier, while overall in Q1/2015 was 213,448 contracts, up 4.35 percent from end-2104, mostly due to an increase in single stock futures and SET50 Index Futures.
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