Summary of Thai Baht Movements
- The baht has weakened to its lowest level in over 15 months at 32.94 baht per dollar, facing continuous selling pressure as COVID-19 infection rates in the country remain high, exceeding 10,000 cases per day. This signals growing concerns about the risks posed by the COVID-19 crisis, which is impacting Thailand's economic recovery. Additionally, other Asian currencies have also shown a weakening trend towards the end of the week.
- On Friday (July 23), the baht was at 32.94 baht per dollar compared to 32.75 baht per dollar the previous Friday (July 16).

For the upcoming week (July 26-30), Kasikorn Bank anticipates the baht will move within a range of 32.70-33.20 baht per dollar. Meanwhile, the Kasikorn Research Center highlights key factors to monitor, including the outcome of the Fed meeting (July 27-28), the COVID-19 situation in the country, and the Bank of Thailand's economic report for June. Important U.S. economic figures to watch include the consumer confidence index for July, inflation measured by the PCE/Core PCE Price Index, durable goods orders, pending home sales for June, Q2 GDP (first estimate), and weekly jobless claims. Additionally, the market is also awaiting China's industrial profit data for June, Q2 GDP figures, and Eurozone inflation rates.

Summary of Thai Stock Market Movements
- Thai stocks declined from the previous week, with the SET index closing at 1,545.10 points, down 1.86% from the week before. The average daily trading value was 72,512.89 million baht, a decrease of 6.30% from the previous week, while the mai index fell 0.56% to close at 507.65 points.
- Thai stocks experienced a sharp decline at the beginning of the week after authorities escalated COVID-19 control measures, leading to widespread selling across all sectors, particularly in banking, finance, and energy, which faced additional negative factors from falling global oil prices following the OPEC+ meeting's decision to increase production. Thai stocks partially recovered during the week due to buying back in the banking sector after recent earnings reports exceeded market expectations. However, stocks fell again towards the end of the week amid ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

For the upcoming week (July 26-30), Kasikorn Securities Co., Ltd.
expects the Thai stock index to find support at 1,530 and 1,520 points, with resistance at 1,555 and 1,565 points, respectively. The Kasikorn Research Center assesses key factors to monitor, including the Fed meeting (July 27-28), the COVID-19 situation both domestically and internationally, issues related to COVID-19 vaccines, and measures to control the COVID-19 situation in the country, as well as the gradual announcement of Q2 earnings from listed companies. Important U.S. economic data includes durable goods orders, personal income and spending, and inflation measured by the PCE/Core PCE Price Index for June, along with Q2 GDP figures. Other significant international factors include Q2 GDP data and the July consumer price index for the Eurozone, as well as China's industrial profit data for June.