An average daily trading value of securities on the Stock
Exchange of Thailand (SET) is expected to reduce to less than 20 billion
baht this year from 25 billion last year due to sluggishness of the overall
market, according to a leading securities analyst.
Montri Sornpaisal, president of Kim-Eng Securities Plc,
said the declined trading value would dampen total revenue earned by the
company from the securities brokerage business.
In the first half of this year, he disclosed, the
firm’s revenue from the securities trading business totaled 1.18 billion
baht, compared with 1.69 billion last year.
Its market share in the securities business was 10.74
percent, down from 11 percent in the first half of last year.
However, he believed the company would regain the market
share of 11 percent for the whole year and become the top securities firm in
terms of market share.
Montri forecast that more retail investors would return
to the market in the second half of this year.
The first half of this year saw foreign investors
increase their trading portion of the market, resulting in the company
losing some market share to foreign securities firms.
He said Kim-Eng plans to add maybe one or two more
branches by the end of this year. Kim-Eng currently has 37 branches.
It is expected that approximately 300-400 new customers
will open securities trading accounts each month. (TNA)
