Microlender Boom That Minted Fortunes in Thailand Starts to Wane

Microlender Boom That Minted Fortunes in Thailand Starts to Wane

By Anuchit Nguyen

>> Providers of small loans were once Thai stock market darlings

>> Slower earnings, regulatory concerns sparked a 2018 selloff

Amassing ever-larger profits by providing small loans is becoming more difficult in Thailand.

Shares in microlenders Muangthai Capital Pcl and Srisawad Corp. have slumped this year on concern about the profit outlook and the prospect of tougher regulatory oversight. The phase of exponential growth in earnings may be over, according to Muangthai’s founder Chuchat Petaumpai.

"We’re starting from a higher base and there’s more competition, so it’s that much harder to replicate the substantial earnings expansion of the past few years," Chuchat said in an interview Monday. “We also have to balance aggressive growth against asset quality."

Full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-05/microlender-boom-that-minted-fortunes-in-thailand-starts-to-wane

-- Bloomberg 2018-06-06