Middle East ETF News Older than One Year
Kuwait Stock Exchange slips as profit booking prevails
October 1, 2012--The KSE Market Index fell 0.13% Monday, closing at 5,974.68 points.
Last week, the gauge bucked an overall negative sentiment at GCC markets, so that yesterday's and today's decline must be regarded as profit booking. Nearly all banking shares ended even today. According to National Bank of Abu Dhabi's research, "Banking system growth appears to be picking up; pace will be a function of implementation of the country’s development plan." Kuwait banking sector assets were $165.8bn (up 9.9% y-o-y, up 1.4% m-o-m) in August. Loans and advances were up by +1% m-o-m and up by +5.1% y-o-y to $97bn. Deposits were up by +1.2% m-o-m to $119.5bn (+10.6% y-o-y). Loan to deposit ratio stood at 81.1%.
Source: AME Info
Gulf stocks still down 4 yrs after crisis
September 30, 2012--All seven stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states failed to recover four years after the global financial crisis despite high oil prices, a Kuwaiti economic report said on Sunday.
Although major bourses in the West, where the crisis began, have recovered successfully with Dow Jones now 17.8% higher than its level four years ago and Germany's DAX up 15.4%, Gulf shares remain way behind their levels in August 2008, Al-Shall Economic Consultants said.
Source: FIN24
Islamic bank Kuwait Finance House hits six-month high
September 27, 2012--The ongoing run on banking shares in Kuwait brought the KSE exchange back on gaining track in the last week of September.
The KSE Market Index added the second day straight to reach 5,990, up 0.76%. The country's largest Islamic financial institution Kuwait Finance House reached KD0.770, representing the highest price level since April 5. Other financials also posted advances, but National Bank of Kuwait remained stuck at KD1.00. The KSE Market Index was the only gauge in the GCC which added value during the overall sticky last week of September. Year-to-date, the measure gained three percent.
Source: AME Info
Qatar Exchange loses the third session straight
September 27, 2012--The QE 20 Index slipped 0.13% to 8,493.70 points.
Banks performed mixed, while Industries Qatar (off 0.21% at QR140.10), the bourse's bellwether, weighed on the gauge. Year-to-date, the QE Index fell 3.20%.
Source: AME Info
Depa Ltd. dives at NASDAQ Dubai
September 27, 2012--The FTSE NASDAQ Dubai UAE 20 Index closed at 1720.08 up 0.49%, from the previous close.
DP World, with 60 ports globally the world's number three among maritime port operators, advanced 0.90% to reach $11.25, representing the highest level since the end of April this year. Depa Limited, the interior design firm which decorated the "Seven stars hotel" Burj Al Arab as well as the 828m high Burj Khalifa dived 6.15% to $0.29.
Source: AME Info
Oil, Aldar and First Gulf Bank lift Abu Dhabi market
September 27, 2012--As the price of the "black gold" recovered on Beijing move to stimulate the domestic money market, the ADX General Index gained 0.22%, finishing at 2,602.97 points.
Aldar Properties added 0.80% to hit Dhs1.26. The sheikhdom's first developer unsuccessfully tried to attack the barrier at Dhs1.40 this week, the old 2012-high it reached on March 14. Abu Dhabi Islamic ended off 0.31%, while First Gulf Bank advanced 0.40% on speculations the UAE's fourth largest lender plans a benchmark bond issue, Gulf News reported. Some 42m stocks were traded, valued at Dhs89.5m.
Source: AME Info
Planned Islamic banking merger pulls Bahrain Bourse up
September 27, 2012--The Bahrain All-Share Index gained 0.34% to reach 1,083.37 points.
While Islamic investment bank Ithmaar closed even, Bahrain Bank of Kuwait surged 3.72% to hit BD0.39. Earlier in the day, the Daily Tribune has reported that the central bank of Bahrain has confirmed the merger of three Bahraini Islamic lenders - Capivest, Elaf Bank and Capital Management House (CMH) - into a $400m asset base and $350m shareholder equity entity will get underway before the year-end. The process would proceed as per regulatory and legal requirements, once the 90-day holding period is over, during which objections to the proposal may be raised, said executive director of banking supervision at the central bank, Khalid Hamad. The apex lender and the industry and commerce ministry would ratify the decision of the three banks' shareholders in June, he added.
Source: AME Info
Abu Dhabi economy to expand by 3.9%
September 25, 2012--Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development has said the emirate's economy is expected to grow by 3.9% in 2012, revising an earlier forecast for growth, AFP has reported.
The department announced the figure in its "Economic Horizons of Abu Dhabi 2012-2016" which also foresaw an increased pace of growth of 5.7% annually between 2013 and 2016. It also predicted growth of 5.5% this year in the non-oil sector of the emirate. "Nonoil sectors will drive the growth in the future," said the department's undersecretary, Mohammad Abdullah.
Source: AME Info
Saudi GDP grew 31% in 2011
September 25, 2012--The Saudi General Statistics Department has said the kingdom's gross domestic product exceeded SR2.2trn in 2011, registering
a growth rate of 31% in current prices, Arab News has reported. “During the same year, the private sector GDP grew by 14.7%,” the department said in its report released. Nonoil exports rose 31% to SR176bn, which accounted for 8% of the GDP, the report added.
Source: AME Info
Egyptian central bank "happy" with currency's value
September 25, 2012--Egypt's central bank has said it was satisfied with the Egyptian pound's value and that it would defend the currency against speculators, Reuters has reported.
"We're very comfortable with the exchange rate right now. We think that more or less reflects what the market thinks about the Egyptian pound," deputy governor Nidal Assar, told a business conference. "We are ready to interfere whenever we see inappropriate actions or attacks toward the Egyptian pound," he said. "When we see that the currency has an attack from such speculators, we do interfere, and we don't allow it." [AMEInfo.com]
Source: AME Info
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