Oct. 6--The SET50 Index closed last week at 412.98, a decrease by 22.27 index points or 5.12 percent from the previous week For SET50 Index Futures, the nearest contract month S50Z08 (expiring in December 2008), was settled at 413.4, a decrease of 17.5 index points from the previous week.

World stock markets were hit hard early in the week after the US House of Representatives rejected the first version of the US$700-billion financial sector bail out plan. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 777 points, the biggest loss ever in one trading day.

However, the Senate approved a revised version of the plan on Wednesday and market optimism rose over the remainder of the week that the House would do likewise, which it finally did after the markets closed on Friday. Even so, the Dow still shed 7.34 percent from the previous week.

on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, uncertainties about the US financial market and potential impacts over the next few quarters on Thai businesses and the economy sapped investors' confidence, which was reflected in the significant drop of daily trading volumes during the week.

Total weekly volume on the TFEX was 49,515 contracts, made up of 48,891 futures contracts, and 624 options contracts. The three most active options series were put options with an exercise price of 400 index points, followed by put options with exercise prices of 410 and 390 index points, respectively, all expiring in December 2008.

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