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Although the SET Index may face short-term volatility amid the current political vacuum, downside risk is expected to remain limited around the 1200 level. Greater clarity is likely once a new prime minister is appointed. In its base case, INVX maintains a 2025 SET target of 1,242 points, implying a PER of 14x. In a more optimistic scenario, should foreign fund inflows continue, the SET could trade toward the upper band of 14–16x PER, or within the 1242–1419 range. For investors with higher risk tolerance, the recommended strategy is to accumulate: 1) stocks expected to benefit from accelerated economic stimulus measures by the new government, including the tourism sector (CENTEL), industrial estates (AMATA), construction materials (SCC), and retail (CPALL, GLOBAL); 2) stocks likely to benefit from a downcycle in interest rate and/or a weaker US dollar (stronger baht), such as REITs (DIF), property developers (AP, SIRI), leasing (MTC), and Utilities (BCPG).
Last Friday (Aug 29), the Constitutional Court ruled to remove Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the position of Prime Minister, pressuring the SET down 1.1% DoD on concerns over political uncertainty, particularly as fund inflows and outflows slowed. However, historical data shows that when the Constitutional Court previously removed a prime minister, the Speaker of the House typically held a vote for a new prime minister within an average of eight days. As such, INVX expects the current political vacuum to be short-lived, with news on government formation likely to trigger a speculative rebound in the SET. Looking ahead, regardless of which party leads the next government, the priority will likely focus on accelerating measures to stimulate the currently weak economy, supporting Thailand’s GDP growth forecast of 1.8% in 2025. That said, should the Pheu Thai Party fail to lead the government, and existing economic policies are not carried forward, GDP could face downside risk of up to -0.3% from the base case. In the near term, the SET is expected to remain volatile in line with government formation developments, trading sideways within a 1205–1255 range.
INVX further notes that the appointment of a new prime minister will distinctly affect both the election timeline and the budget process: 1) If Mr. Chaikasem or Mr. Anutin becomes prime minister, the earliest election could take place within 4–6 months due to pressure from the People’s Party, but the FY2027 budget process would likely be delayed by 1–2 months. 2) If Gen. Prayut assumes the premiership, the election could be pushed out to 8–12 months in order to maintain stability, allowing the FY2027 budget process to proceed as planned. However, infrastructure investment may receive less emphasis than consumption-stimulus measures. 3) If parliament is dissolved immediately, elections must be held within 45–60 days under the Constitution, though legal challenges may arise from those contesting that Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham lacks the authority to dissolve parliament.
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