SHARES RISE AS INVESTORS SHRUG OFF TRUMP THREATS

RECAP: Asian stock markets forged ahead yesterday, as investors saw US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats as more of a strategic move to extract concessions in trade talks now in focus before an Aug 1 deadline.

- NUNTAWUN POLKUAMDEE NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG

The SET index moved in a range of 1,107.46 and 1,130.28 points this week, before closing yesterday at 1,121.13, up 0.1% from the previous week, with daily turnover averaging 30.88 billion baht.

Retail investors were net buyers of 2.99 billion baht, followed by foreign investors at 742.30 million. Institutional investors were net sellers of 3.18 billion baht, followed by brokerage firms at 558.25 million.

NEWSMAKERS: Europe is bracing for a letter from President Trump telling it how high a tariff rate Washington will charge on its goods. That follows a new threat - one of several - by Trump to impose a 35% tariff on Canadian imports.

■An earlier series of tariff letters went out to 14 countries including Thailand, which was told it would face a 36% rate, unchanged from April, higher than the rates for Indonesia (32%), Malaysia (25%) and Vietnam (20%). They will take effect on Aug 1 if trade deals are not reached.

■Trump also said the US would impose an additional 10% tariff on any country aligning itself with the "anti-American policies" of the BRICS group of developing nations. Thailand was accepted as a BRICS partner country this year.

■The US plans to restrict shipments of AI chips to Malaysia and Thailand in an effort to stop advanced semiconductors from being smuggled into China.

■Trump also sowed chaos in metals markets by threatening a higher-than-expected 50% tariff on copper imports, spurring a record spike in New York futures and a drop in the global benchmark price.

■Bitcoin continued on its record-setting run, passing $117,000 on Friday, bolstered by an increased risk appetite and persistent institutional demand as traditional financial market players embrace the world's largest cryptocurrency.

■Shares of Nvidia rose 2.2% on Wednesday, making the AI chip leader the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value.