MAI-listed Aira Capital plans an aggressive expansion with the takeover of two companies later this year.
Chief executive Nalinee Ngamsettamas said on Monday said under the plan, the company would take over one finance company and another unrelated to the financial sector.
Aira, the holding company of Aira Securities Plc, also plans to raise group revenue by 15-20% this year.
Ms Nalinee forecasts trading volume on the SET this year will remain above 50 billion baht on average per day.
"The SET index this year is targeted at 1,850 points and at 2,000 by the end of 2016," she said.
Under holding company rules for financial businesses on the Thai stock market, the company must invest at in a financial business for at least 75% of total investment.
Aira invests only in financial businesses including securities, factoring and consumer finance, but she said this year it will start to invest in other businesses such as alternative energy, property and food.
Late last year the company finalised a retail lending venture with Tokyo-based financial services group Aiful Corporation, named Aira & Aiful Plc.
Aira & Aiful is scheduled to start offering retail consumer finance in mid-2015. It plans to open 120 branches in Bangkok and expand nationwide in the future, compiling about 1 million borrowers.
"We plan to list on the Thai bourse 18 months after starting operations," Ms Nalinee said.
She said under the plan, Aira & Aiful would lend consumers about 15 billion baht within three years. The venture is meant to create up to 40% of group revenue in the future.
Two Japanese commercial banks have offered low-interest loans to the company now due mainly to of its relatively low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.2, Ms Nalinee said.
One of its units, Aira Factoring, targets loan growth to 23 billion baht this year, up from 18-19 billion in 2014. Aira Advisory, should be able to seal two or three deals this year.
Ms Nalinee said 2014 results are expected to be lower than 2013, when earned revenue was 792 million baht for a net profit of 90 million. in the the first nine months, the company earned 594 million baht in revenue for a net profit of 32 million, lower as political turmoil in the first half took a toll.
Pairoj Laungthaleongpong, Aira Securities chief executive, said the company had an average commission fee of 0.17%, in line with the industry. It plans to raise its market share to 2% this year from 1.5% last year. The building materials, construction, ICT, banking and digital economy sectors have high potential growth.
AIRA shares closed yesterday on the MAI at 3.58 baht, down 10 satang, in trade worth 72.1 million baht.