Lockdown favours healthcare stocks
2 A bus driver talks on a mobile phone as all inter-provincial buses are grounded at Mor Chit terminal to prevent the coronavirus spread. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Healthcare and medical equipment stocks are set to remain the biggest beneficiaries of Thailand s ongoing lockdown, while airlines continue to slump, according to a brokerage.
At the end of last month the government extended restrictions for another 14 days, starting from yesterday, and surging Covid-19 cases prompted the SET Index to continue its decline.
Mongkol Puangpetra, executive vice-president of KTBST Securities, predicted the lockdown would continue throughout August. If the number of infections remains high, we expect the lockdown to be extended until the end of this month, he said.
Capital crush
published : 5 May 2021 at 04:00
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As the pandemic slogs into its second year, Thai companies are increasingly looking to capital markets as a source of funding during a time of unreliable investor sentiment.
The Thai initial public offering (IPO) market is expected to remain active for the next few years, grabbing a leading spot in Asean, spurred by a slow economic recovery that is forcing unlisted firms with low liquidity to seek working capital.
Businesses run by large families are now more interested in listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) to raise funds for expansion and liquidity enhancement after suffering from the pandemic for over a year, said Anuwat Ruamsuke, managing director of Phatra Securities.