As of the end of August 2026, the SET Index closed at 1,595.16 points, down 1.8 percent from the previous month but still up 26.6 percent from the end of 2025. The Thai stock market faced pressure from renewed tensions in the Middle East, which pushed crude oil prices close to USD 90 per barrel, along with volatility in the U.S. Treasury market arising from concerns over public debt and fiscal deficits. Developments at the Jackson Hole meeting also contributed to higher U.S. Treasury yields and a stronger U.S. dollar. These factors affected capital flows into emerging markets, including Thailand. In August, foreign investors were net sellers of Thai equities by USD 746 million but remained net buyers by USD 1.6 billion year-to-date.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Executive Vice President and Head of Research Department, Chatchai Thisadoldilok, CFA, FRM, stated that although the Thai stock market entered a consolidation phase and faced pressure from external factors in August, domestic fundamentals continued to provide support. On the economic front, while Thailand’s Q2/2026 GDP growth moderated, the full-year GDP growth forecast was revised upward. Private investment continued to expand at a strong pace, in line with higher capital expenditure (Capex) by listed companies, indicating clearer investment momentum. Listed companies’ performance also remained strong, with net profit for the first six months of 2026 increasing 22.2 percent year-on-year. Continued upward revisions to analysts’ earnings-per-share (EPS) estimates have been an important factor supporting the SET Index’s strong year-to-date performance relative to several markets, while market drivers have become more broadly distributed across industry sectors.
Key highlights for August 2026
- SET Index ended August at 1,595.16 points, down 1.8 percent from the previous month but up 26.6 percent from the end of 2025.
- Industrials, Agro & Food Industry, and Resources outpaced other industry groups in August, while Industrials and Resources continued to outperform SET Index year-to-date.
- The combined SET and Market for Alternative Investment (mai) average daily trading value in August 2026 rose 48.1 percent year-on-year to THB 75.05 billion (approx. USD 2.26 billion). For the January-to-August period, the total average daily trading value surged 62.6 percent from a year earlier to THB 69.91 billion.
- Foreign investors were net sellers of Thai shares in August 2026, totaling THB 24.68 billion. However, they remained net buyers of THB 51.18 billion for the first eight months.
- Foreign investors led trading activity at 55.3 percent of total trading value, followed by retail investors at 30.8 percent, while local institutional investors and proprietary trading by securities companies were on par at 6.9 percent each.
- In August 2026, one new company was listed and made its debut on mai: Phatra Group pcl (PHAT).
- SET’s forward P/E ratio at the end of August 2026 was 14.3 times, above the Asian stock market average of 13.2 times. The historical P/E ratio stood at 15.1 times, higher than the Asian stock market average of 14.5 times.
- SET’s dividend yield at the end of August 2026 was 4.3 percent, higher than the Asian stock market average of 2.8 percent.
Derivatives Market for August 2026
- Thailand Futures Exchange’s (TFEX) average daily trading volume was 463,401 contracts, down 17.7 percent from the previous month, primarily driven by the decline in trading volume of SET50 Index Futures and Single Stock Futures. For the first eight months of 2026, TFEX average daily trading volume increased 29.5 percent year-on-year to 542,985 contracts.
