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Aldar Properties falls the third day straight
June 20, 2013--The Abu Dhabi market gauge ADXGI ended down 0.90% at 3,632.36 points.
Lower oil prices in the wake of Bernanke's hint that bond purchases and record-low interest rates might cease in mid-2014 weighed on the gauage. "Dubai spot firm for now at $ 101 per barrel driven by geopolitical tension (-2.8% YTD)," said Dr. Giyas Gokkent, the chief economist and head of research at National Bank of Abu Dhabi (0.81% lower at Dhs12.25) earlier in the day. The emirate's biggest developer Aldar, which is currently merging with Sorouh Real Estate, ended down 2.18% at Dhs2.24 as the most actively traded stock by value. Sorouh lost 0.70% to Dhs2.86. Ras al-Khaima (RAK) Bank bucked the downtrend by closing 5.31% to reach Dhs6.35. Some 150m shares were traded, valued at Dhs357m.
Bernanke speech drags down Dubai market
June 20, 2013--The DFM General Index closed 1.35% higher at 2,360.59 points on Thursday.
The day before Fed chairman Ben S. Bernanke irritaed global markets by hinting that the Fed could curtail bond purchases by mid-2014. Weak data from China where HSCB's June flash PMI hit a 9-month low also weighed on the sentiment Dubai. The GCC second lender by market capitalisation Emirates NBD lost the most (down 2.26% at Dhs5.18) while Islamic insurance company Dartakaful posted the biggest day gain (up 1.05% at Dhs0.578). Market bellwether Emaar dived 2.12% to Dhs5.54. Trading volumes plummeted to 262m shares, valued at Dhs420m.
UAE market regulator sees 'many advantages' in bourse merger
June 19, 2013--Abdulla al-Turifi, CEO of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has said a potential merger between the two main stock exchanges of Dubai and Abu Dhabi would have "many advantages' for the country's financial sector, Reuters has reported.
“In case the two markets are merged into one it will have many advantages, although the SCA has not seen any negative aspects in the current situation of having two markets,” head of the UAE's equities market regulator said.
Tadawul market fails to recover losses from the beginning of the week
June 19, 2013--The Tadawul All-Share Index closed Wednesday trading unchanged at 7,526.26 points, which marks the last trading day of the Saudi Arabian work week.
Whilst the gauge rose steadily in the sessions since Sunday, the GCC bellewether index failed to recover last Saturday's day-loss of 4.23%, the biggest drop in 2 years after the King's early return from a private holiday fuelled speculations over new tensions in regards to the conflict in Syria. Sabic fell 0.27% to SR93. Saudi Indian Company for Co- operative Insurance, known as Wafa Insurance, posted the biggest increase, ending up 9.95% at SR168.50.
Bahrain Islamic Bank gains as new chairman is appointed
June 19, 2013--The Bahrain All-Share Index closed 0.17% lower at 1,202.39 points on Wednesday.
Bahrain Islamic Bank or BisB was the sole gaining share, ending up 0.74% at BD0.136. Earlier in the day, BisB said its board of directors held a meeting on Tuesday, "after completion of all formalities related to the purchase of The Investment Dar shares, which represents 51.6% of BisB capital, by National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) and SIO with 25.8% each." In addition, it has been agreed that Abdul Razak Abdulla Hasan Al Qassim will take the helm as the new Board of Directors Chairman, replacing Khalid Abdulla Al Bassam "who has expressed his intention of quitting his position after eight years in the job so as to concentrate in his other businesses." BisB's rival Gulf Finance House lost the most, finishing off 5.88% at $0.16.
Qatari bourse to start trading government bonds tomorrow
June 18, 2013--Qatar Exchange has said trading of government bonds issued by the central bank is set to start on June 20, as part of measures to deepen the Gulf state's debt market and diversify investment tools for banks and other institutions, Reuters has reported.
Four government bonds will initially be available for trading and future quarterly issues are expected to be listed, the exchange said. It launched trading of government Treasury bills in December 2011.
Arab countries report 9.8% rise in FDI
June 18, 2013--The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corp (DHAMAN) has said that despite unrest in some Arab countries foreign direct investment into Arab states rose by 9.8% last year, but remained well below its level in 2010, Saudi Gazette has reported.
Arab states attracted FDI worth $47.1bn last year, compared with $42.9bn in 2011, which was 28.5% lower than the figure of $66.2bn in 2010, said Kuwaiti-based DHAMAN. Saudi Arabia topped the list of inflows with $12.2bn, or 25.8% of the total even though its share dropped by 25% from the previous year, it said. Inflows to the UAE rose 25% to $9.6bn, or 20.8% of the total, the report said.
Sabic gains on good news from its UK plant
June 18, 2013--The Tadawul All-Share Index closed 0.84% to reach 7,526.29 points.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, the world's biggest producer of petrochemicals and better known as Sabic, advanced 0.84% to reach SR93.25. Earlier in the day, Arab News reported that after nearly 20 years of under-investment, Sabic UK Petrochemical’s ethylene liquefaction plant on Teesside has witnessed a dramatic turnaround and is on track to make productivity gains of more than £10m a year, following an intensive reliability program with change management specialists, reliable manufacturing. "Just 18 months after embarking on its manufacturing excellence program with Reliable Manufacturing, plant breakdowns and performance issues have been dramatically reduced. Communication between the plant’s two sites has improved, saving the company more than £1m a year," said the report. Ninety-eight shares gained in Riyadh, while 38 stocks declined.
Plans to merge Abu Dhabi, Dubai bourses revived: report
June 17, 2013--The UAE has revived a proposal to merge its two main stock exchanges in a state-backed deal that could boost trade in the local market and attract more foreign investment to the Gulf country, Reuters has reported, citing sources familiar with the plan.
Talks on a potential merger between the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) have occurred on and off since at least 2010, but progress toward the proposed tie-up halted because of differences over how to value the exchanges, and because the two emirates were preoccupied by other issues such as the aftermath of Dubai's 2009-2010 corporate debt crisis. "The entire valuation, structuring of the deal is done. It's been an ongoing process and the decision is now pending at the highest authorities in the two emirates," one source said. "It's not a question of whether they would do it now. It's a question of when," added the source.
Oil price spike boosts Tadawul market
June 17, 2013--The Tadawul All-Share Index gained 1.81% to reach 7,463.37 points on Monday amid a bullish market breadth of 153 advancing shares and only one losing stock.
Oil prices rose at the Dubai Mercantile Exchange to a 2-month high on new Mideast tensions around the Syrian conflict. The price of DME Oman oil futures climbed 1.1 percent to reach 103.38 U. S. dollars per barrel. The shares of market bellwether Sabic advanced 1.10%, finishing at SR92.25. Sabic rivals Sahara Petrochemical Co. added 2.12% while Saudi Kayan Petrochemical surged 2.27% to hit SR11.55. Earlier in the day, Sahara announced that an affiliate company of Tasnee and Sahara Olefins Company (Saudi Acrylic Acid Company) has signed on Sunday a tolling and processing agreement with Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara), Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company (Saudi Kayan) and Saudi Butanol Company (SaBuco). Sabuco is a special purpose joint venture company established by Saudi Kayan, Sadara, and SAAC for the purposes of owning and funding a the Butanol production plant (Butanol Plant).
