Thai Hot Stocks-Media firms, True, banks up
(Adds media firms)
BANGKOK, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Thailand's benchmark stock index .SETI was up 0.37 percent at 435.40 in thin turnover of 10.2 billion baht ($292 million) at 0914 GMT on Wednesday.
The Bank of Thailand cut its one-day repo rate by 75 bps, more than expected, taking it to 2 percent.
Stocks on the move included:
MEDIA FIRMS RISE ON ADVERTISING SPENDING HOPES
Media and entertainment shares outperformed the broader market, led by a 3.08 percent rise in Major Cineplex MAJO.BK, the top cinema chain operator, to 6.70 baht, while BEC World BEC.BK, operator of the second most popular television channel, added 2.05 percent to 19.90 baht.
ACL Securities said it expected advertising revenue across all media to rise at least 1-2 percent to 90 billion baht and retained its overweight rating on the sector.
0915 GMT
TRUE CORP TRUE.BK UP ON 3G BOOST
True Corp rose over 2 percent to 1.84 baht after its unit True Move, the third-largest mobile phone operator, said it expected to launch third-generation mobile services in Bangkok in April.
0915 GMT
BANKS .SETB UP AFTER CENTRAL BANK CUTS RATE
The banking subindex was 0.32 percent higher after the central bank cut interest rates by a bigger-than-expected 75 basis points to 2.00 percent, the second hefty cut in two months to ward off recession, and economists said further easing was likely. [nBKK310126]
Top lender Bangkok Bank BBL.BK rose 1.45 percent to 70 baht, Siam Commercial Bank SCB.BK, the third-ranked, rose 1.5 percent to 50.50 baht and number four Kasikornbank KBAN.BK edged up 0.6 percent to 45.25 baht.
0918 GMT
BANPU BANP.BK GAINS ON EARNINGS OUTLOOK
Top coal miner Banpu gained 1.8 percent to 224 baht on solid earnings prospects, fuelled by strong sales volume and average selling prices, analysts said.
"With 44 percent of coal sales this year already locked in on forward contracts, and selling prices projected to remain slightly above last year's average of $72 a tonne, our analyst expects 5 percent EPS growth this year," top broker Kim Eng said in a research note.
0917 GMT
CH KARNCHANG CK.BK DOWN AS ANALYST CUTS RATING
Builder Ch Karnchang fell 3 percent to 3.88 baht in afternoon trade, wiping out early gains after Ayudhya Securities said it had cut the company's rating to sell, citing operating losses expected this year.
"Although the Purple Line contract will boost CK's backlog currently valued at 14.7 billion baht, it will still be lower than that of ITD and STEC, even with some new projects waiting be signed," the broker said.
"We are reducing our 2009 operating loss forecast after CK won the first contract for the Purple Line mass transit project ... However, we downgrade the stock to 'Sell' as it will post an operating loss this year."
The company tendered the lowest bid to build a 12 km (7.5 mile) electric train line, part of Bangkok's 36 billion baht ($1 billion) "Purple Line" mass transit project, a government agency said. [nBKK355357]
Other analysts, however, expected the bid win to strengthen the company's revenues.
0849 GMT
- For the Thai press digest click on [ID:nBKK373683]
- For Thailand's IPO diary click on <TH/IPOMENU>
- For Thailand's stock exchange news click on [TH-SET]
- For Thailand corporate earnings: [TH-RES-RTRS]
- For Thailand economic forecast: [POLL-ECI-TH-RTRS] ($1=34.88 Baht) (Reporting by Ploy Chitsomboon; Editing by Alan Raybould)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.


UK
US