SCB Securities (SCBS) held a special seminar on Sunday under the theme of “Moving Forward to A New High” and forecast that the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index will hit a new high of 1,800 points late next year.

      SCBS Research Group Managing Director Mr. Kiattisak Jenwipakul said the seminar served as a venue for the presentation of information and investment strategy advice from the final quarter of 2014 until next year. The company's research team has comprehensively studied information to prepare quality analysis reports that investors can use to make efficient investment decisions.

      SCBS projects 2015 will be an historic year for the Thai stock market, with the SET index likely to break through to an expected record high of 1,800 points at the end of the year, its highest level since the previous peak of 1,753.73 points in 1994. The market will be bolstered by a strong recovery in listed companies' profits.

      Mr. Kiattisak said listed firms are forecast to enjoy attractive profit growth next year because their profit base is assumed to be low this year in the wake of recent political turmoil. Simultaneously, the new government planned to rely on fiscal policy to stimulate economic growth and set a schedule for general elections in late 2015. It is thus expected that political risks will not pose any grave threat in the next 12 months, contributing to an SET index rally. 

      On the projected policy interest rate hike in the United States and Thailand, he said, investors should not fret too much about this factor since past events showed that the SET index had rallied, not fallen, when the policy interest rate increased. 

      Top stock picks expected to benefit from the recovery of the tourism industry and basic infrastructure construction include Airports of Thailand (AOT), BTS Group Holding (BTS), and Italian-Thai Development (ITD). SCBS also recommended laggard stocks in the domestic play segment, which still have promising prospects in the next 12 months, including Asia Plus (ASP), CP All (CPALL), and Tisco Financial Group (TISCO). 

      Securities analysts invited to provide in-depth information, knowledge, and investment strategies in this seminar included Mr. Kiattisak; Mr. Ekpawin Suntarapichard and Mr. Varorith Chirachon, Investment Strategists of the SCBS-Equities Research Department; Ms. Vajiralux Sanglerdsillapachai, Construction Services Stock Analyst; Ms. Sirima Dissara, Commerce and Transportation Services Stock Analyst; and Ms. Raweenuch Piyakriengkai, Health Care and Tourism Services Stock Analyst.