Futures Focus

The SET50 Index closed last week at 995.83 points, a decrease of 1.40 points or 0.14% from the previous week. The most traded SET50 Futures contract S50M17 (expiring in June 2017) was settled at 993.40 points, a decrease of 3.8 points or 0.38%.

US stock markets fell after President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey as concerns grew about possible complicity of Trump administration figures in Russian meddling in last year’s election. The dollar declined and US Treasury yields reversed. Wall Street dipped again on Friday as risk sentiment weakened. As well, disappointing sales figures from the struggling retailer JC Penney sent its shares down 10% and dragged down the retail sector. The Dow closed down 23 points to end the week at 20,896.61, a decrease of 0.5% from 21,006.94 the week before. European markets, meanwhile, celebrated the victory of centrist Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential election.

The SET index declined for the whole week along with regional markets. Disappointng earnings from some listed companies, coupled with the car-bomb attack in Pattani also worried investors. The SET Index fell 6.33 points on Friday to finish the week at 1,543.94, down 1.7% from a week earlier.

On the TFEX, daily average trading volume was 217,577 contracts, an increase of 34,093 contracts or 18.6% from the previous week. The most actively traded product was Single Stock Futures with 704,654 contracts, or 176,414 per day. Total market open interest was 2,173,003 contracts, an increase of 25,602 or 1.2% from the previous week.