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Why Thailand’s SET Shares are Shaking off the Coup

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Thailand's SET index is up around 0.6 percent midday Friday, topping its pre-coup levels and clocking up a more than 15 percent gain so far this year.

Thailand’s SET index is up around 0.6 percent midday Friday, topping its pre-coup levels and clocking up a more than 15 percent gain so far this year.

 

BANGKOK – Anywhere but Thailand, a military coup combined with an economic contraction might have spurred a stock selloff, but shares there have surprised many analysts with their resilience.

“I’m shocked to see how resilient that market has been,” Ruchir Sharma, head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said, adding he has a slightly overweight position on the country.

Thailand’s SET index is up around 0.6 percent midday Friday, topping its pre-coup levels and clocking up a more than 15 percent gain so far this year.

“You’ve got the geographical sweet spot of being in the Mekong region. You’ve got a very vibrant manufacturing sector. Global growth is doing better and Thailand is plugged into that in terms of its global export cycle,” Sharma said. “But just the fact that the politics has been such a mess is something which has been a big negative.”

After more than six months of political protests and two days of martial law, Thailand’s army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha declared the military had seized power in a coup last week. The elected prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was removed from her role at the top of a caretaker government earlier this month.

Others also are looking on the sunny side of Thailand’s political turmoil.

“During this period, we expect some ongoing short-term market volatility but we would not expect much disruption in existing company operations,” Mark Mobius, executive chairman for emerging markets at Franklin Templeton, said in a blog posting Wednesday.

“The positive drivers of long-term growth for Thailand remain in place, including a very competitive business sector and Japanese investment, as well as the potential for growth from the increasing integration of Thailand’s regions and the neighboring markets of Myanmar (also known as Burma), Cambodia and Laos into the global economic system,” Mobius said.

Sharma also expects Thailand’s status as a regional manufacturing center provides support.

“Manufacturing as a share of GDP is the second highest in the world at about 20 percent,” Sharma noted. “That’s the reason why that economic engine keeps humming even though the growth rates have fallen a lot.”

In the first quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 2.1 percent from the previous quarter, worse than the 1.6 percent contraction forecast in a Reuters poll. Consumer spending also contracted for the past two quarters, the first time that’s happened since the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Mobius believes Thailand’s long-term economic trends, including rising per capita income, will reassert themselves.

“Thailand has a large middle class and a growing consumer population, which we believe bodes well,” Mobius said.

Hopes that the junta will deliver some economic goodies are also supporting the market.

“A lot of these investment projects in Thailand, which were such a big part of Yingluck’s plan, were stuck because of the political paralysis over the last year or so,” Sharma noted. “Many of these projects are being put on the accelerator now by the government there to get economic growth going again.”

So far this year, foreign investors in Thailand mutual fund and exchange traded funds (ETFs) have pulled out around $1.11 billion, according to data from Jefferies. In 2013, foreign investors pulled around 194 billion baht, or $6 billion, from Thai shares, reversing the inflows from the previous four years.

The market’s support is mainly coming from local institutional and retail investors, who have bought a net of around 32.08 billion baht (around $980 million) so far this month.

“Interest rates are pretty low, deposit rates are pretty low, so investment in the stock market is one of the limited options domestic investors have,” Adithep Vanabriksha, deputy chief investment officer at Aberdeen Asset Management in Thailand, told CNBC.

Some analysts are outright negative on the market.

“Investors are effectively expecting a goldilocks outcome,” Viktor Shvets, head of strategy research for Asia at Macquarie, told CNBC. “People assume it will just go back to normal, somehow geopolitics sorts itself out. I doubt that will be the case,” he said, keeping an underweight call on the market.

Forecasts for 2-3 percent economic growth for this year are “very, very optimistic,” Shvets said. “At best, Thailand could do 1 percent. I don’t think 14-15 percent earnings per share (growth) estimates are likely either.”

Even Morgan Stanley’s Sharma said Thailand isn’t one of his favorite markets. “The risk reward is somewhat attractive at this stage, but not unusually so,” Sharma said.
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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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