The US-Iran conflict, which has lasted less than two months, has caused multiple effects including a surge in oil prices and volatility in capital markets. However, whenever there is “good news,” stock markets typically respond with immediate improvement.
Recently, Israel and Lebanon agreed on a 10-day ceasefire. President Donald Trump announced last night (16 Apr 2026) that he acted as the mediator for this successful negotiation, with expectations for progress in US-Iran peace talks by the end of this week.
Although globally, many consider 10 days too short, this remains positive news for US stock markets, including
- The Dow Jones closed at 48,578.72 points, up 115.00 points or +0.24%.
- The S&P 500 closed at 7,041.28 points, up 18.33 points or +0.26% (having hit an all-time high the previous day).
- The Nasdaq closed at 24,102.70 points, up 86.69 points or +0.36%.
Amid the positive news, there remain issues to watch on the side of Asia Plus Securities. They emphasize ongoing tensions from the US Treasury Secretary’s threat to impose maximum sanctions on “all countries and companies” still conducting oil trade with Iran if US-Iran negotiations fail to reach an agreement by the April 22, 2026 deadline. This could remove Iranian oil from the market and push prices sharply higher in the short term.
On the morning of 17 April 2026, Thai stocks fell below 1,500 points, hitting a low of 1,472.58 points (down about 16 points). This extended the previous day’s loss (16 April 2026), which closed down 17.11 points at 1,489.73, due to heavy sell-offs in major stocks like DELTA, which is affected by the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s cooling measures, as well as selling pressure in banking and oil sectors.
**By midday, the Thai stock market closed at 1,476.53 points, down 12.61 points from the opening on 17 April 2026.**
Regarding Finansia Syrus Securities, they see a short-term negative outlook, expecting the SET Index to fluctuate sideways to slightly downward within 1,480-1,500 points. The Thai stock market remains pressured by DELTA, which is likely to face continued selling after being subjected to Cash Balance restrictions and risks being removed from the SET50/100 if trading curbs extend into May.
Despite the downturn, there is still hope. Asia Plus Securities believes Thai stocks have positive factors to watch for, including the Cabinet meeting on 21 April 2026, which may approve economic stimulus measures such as the 2026 Co-Payment Plus program, support for clean energy (Solar Cell / EV), and a vehicle trade-in program.
In foreign investment, Asia Plus Securities notes that although the US indices like the S&P 500 and NASDAQ have reached new highs, technical indicators (RSI) suggest these are entering overbought territory, which may pressure global markets to stabilize or pull back. Therefore, investors should consider buying “counter-market” stocks benefiting from easing conflicts, such as DR: ANTA23, whose sportswear sales in China grew +9% YoY in March, outperforming foreign rivals like Nike and Asics, which saw sales decline.
As for Thai stocks, they recommend similar themes including PR9, DELTA, TFG, BGRIM, BDMS, EGCO, BBL, SCC, CBG, BH, BCH, and AOT.
Meanwhile, Finansia Syrus Securities advocates a barbell strategy: combining low-risk stocks less affected by inflation and energy costs with sectors benefiting if conflicts ease. Highlighted stocks for April 2026 include CPALL, CPF, GULF, KTB, and PRM.
Going forward, attention will focus on government measures to stimulate the Thai economy to avoid slower growth, maintaining Thailand’s investment appeal relative to other countries. If the economy improves, there is hope for a stock market recovery.
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