Thai stocks made small gains on Friday despite local concerns about a major anti-government protest planned for Saturday, as investors reacted to encouraging economic news from China.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index rose 2.19 points to close at 1,281.70, up 0.1% from the previous Friday's close of 1,280.13. Turnover was thin at 19.7 billion baht, with 5.6 billion shares traded.
Foreign investors were net sellers of 409.9 million baht worth of Thai shares and local brokers 207.2 million. Local institutions were net buyers of 533.7 million baht and individual investors were net buyers of 83.36 million.
On Thursday, foreign investors had been net buyers of 14.5 billion baht worth of shares and local retail investors sold 14.6 billion.
World stock markets saw little movement on Friday amid holidays in the US and Japan, although traders kept an eye on Americans hitting the stores for the start of the Christmas shopping season.
European stocks were nearly unchanged in early trading, while Wall Street was preparing to open for a half-session after Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday.
In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.8% to 21,913.98 and South Korea's Kospi finished up 0.6% to 1,911.33. Benchmarks in Taiwan, China and the Philippines also rose. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was nearly unchanged at 4,413. Markets in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta fell.
A survey that showed China's manufacturing grew for the first time in 13 months in November helped boost global stock markets on Thursday.
In Bangkok, the SET50 index of blue chips ended at 8769.72 points, up 2.32 points, with total trade value of 13.64 billion baht. The SETHD index of high-dividend shares rose 2.67 points to 1,129.26, with turnover of 3.82 billion baht. The Market for Alternative Investment sloped 0.66 points to 377.34, with transaction value of 2.97 billion baht.
The five most active shares by value were the 7-Eleven operator CPALL, up one baht to 40 baht; ADVANC, up 50 satang to 198.50 baht; SCB, down 2.50 to 156.50 baht; PTT up 3 baht to 312; and KTB, up 20 satang to 17.30 baht.
In the currency markets, the baht was little changed and government bonds advanced as foreign funds pumped money into Thai assets on signs the global economic recovery is gaining momentum.
Overseas investors had bought $247 million more in Thai government bonds than they sold for the week through Thursday and purchased a net $399 million worth of shares, according to data from the Thai Bond Market Association and the SET.
Investors were buoyed by news that a key manufacturing index in China released on Thursday signalled the first expansion in 13 months.
"Funds continue to come into Asia, which supports regional currencies," said Kozo Hasegawa, a Bangkok-based foreign-exchange trader at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.
"Data out of China are improving, providing some relief to investors to buy emerging-market assets. The baht's gain was limited amid some demand from importers to buy dollars."
The baht was trading late Friday in Bangkok at 30.72 to the dollar, compared with 30.70/73 on Thursday and 30.72/75 the previous Friday.
The baht may trade in a range of 30.55 to 30.90 next week, Hasegawa said.
The yield on the 3.65% bonds due in December 2021 declined four basis points on Friday and seven basis points from a week ago to 3.38%.