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Dana Gas surges over eight per cent on sukuk advisory
January 18, 2012--The Abu Dhabi-based ADX General Index advanced 1.73%, closing at 2,332.72 points Wednesday. Dana Gas from Sharjah posted the second highest gain, ending 8.8% higher at Dh0.37. Dana Gas has said it hired an international firm for advisory on its convertible Islamic bond worth Dhs3.38bn, Gulf News reported.
The sukuk matures in October this year. Only two shares, Abu Dhabi Aviation and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank lost slightly. Some 106.2m shares worth Dhs94.8m changed hands. It was one of the rare sessions when trading volumes in Abu Dhabi were higher than at the Dubai Financial Market.
Dubai Mercantile Exchange Grows Trading Volumes by 19% in 2011
Janauary 18, 2012--The Dubai Mercantile Exchange Limited (“DME”) recorded year-on-year trading volume growth of 19% in 2011, it announced today.
The DME delivered more than 145 million barrels of crude oil during 2011, led by its flagship DME Oman Crude Oil Futures contract (“DME Oman”), but with a series of linked contracts adding to the performance. Within this growth figure is an underlying increase in Average Daily Volume (ADV) to 3,505 contracts per day, peaking at 4,427 per day in July. This represents the highest monthly ADV since the DME began trading in 2007. New records in total volume were also set in consecutive months during July and August, the latter seeing 95,440 contracts traded through the exchange.
Saudi Arabia favours oil around $100 per barrel
January 17, 2012--Saudi Arabia: Saudi oil minister, Ali al-Naimi has said the kingdom favours an oil price of $100 per barrel, identifying an ideal oil price for the first time in more than three years.
"Our wish and hope is we can stabilise this oil price and keep it at a level around $100," al-Naimi was quoted as saying in an interview on CNN.
Saudi dairy producer Almarai dips as quarter-on-quarter net profit decreases
January 17, 2012--The Saudi Arabian Tadawul market index Tasi fell 0.80% Tuesday, closing at 6,370.16 points. Almarai Company, one of the largest producers of food and dairy products in the GCC, fell one per cent, finishing at SR98.50.
Earlier in the day, Almarai announced that "for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2011 Almarai generated an interim consolidated net income amounting to SR285.5m, representing an increase of 0.6%, compared to the same period last year and a decrease of a third compared to the third quarter 2011." The interim net profit for the 12-months period amounted to SR1.3bn, which was 1.1% higher compared to the year 2010.
Kuwait Stock Exchange outperforms GCC markets
January 17, 2012--The KSE Market remained buoyant Tuesday, adding 0.46% to reach 5,789.40 points.
During the last week, the KSE was the best performing gauge in the GCC. Banks and investment firms fuel the rebound, as Islamic bank Kuwait Finance House (KFH) closed 1.13% higher at KD0.890. After completing a chart technical w-formation, shares of the largest lender Kuwait National Bank or NBK advanced 1.75% to reach KD1.160.
NASDAQ Dubai posts advances amid rebound in Europe
January 17, 2012--The FTSE NASDAQ Dubai UAE 20 Index ended 1.25% higher at 1337.53. DEPA Limited, the Dubai-based interior designer, gained the most (up 5.41% at $0.39).
DP World added 1.50%, while jewellery trader Damas advanced 1.40%. Bargain hunters entered the spot at bourses in Europe, improving the sentiment in Dubai. Other markets in the GCC and the Near East, howeever, remained fickle on Tuesday.
DFM shares rebound amid increasing demands for UAE stock markets merger
January 17, 2012--The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) General Index closed 0.70% higher at 1,310.40 points. Shares of the DFM, the only Arab bourse which is publicly listed, soared 4.28% to reach Dhs0.707.
Gulf News reported about increasing demands from bankers and economist in the UAE to consolidate stock markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. According to the Abu Dhabi-based The National, UAE-based brokers also asked stock market authorities to lower trading fees, "as these fees are 15 times higher than in Saudi Arabia." Both measures could attract more capital to the UAE equity markets. Emaar Properties gained 0.83%, closing at Dhs2.43. Some 64m shares were traded, valued at Dhs59m.
Saudi Arabia may open stock market to foreigners this year
January 17, 2012--Foreign investors are expected to be allowed to invest directly in Saudi Arabia’s $340bn stock market for the first time later this year, the Financial Times has reported.
International access to the Saudi stock market could happen “as early as the first half of this year or even the first quarter,” said Sam Vecht, a senior emerging-markets fund manager at BlackRock.
Kuwait market index reaches 5,800
January 18, 2012--The KSE Market Index added 0.20% Wednesday. All sector indexes, except the banking segment, gained value. Rising oil prices, climbing above $101 per barrel (U. S. crude) today, helped the KSE to remain on a growth track.
The State of Kuwait's federal budget relies 95% on oil revenues. "As emerging market central banks move to cut rates we expect a more sustained rally in commodities," says Gary Dugan, CIO Private Banking at Emirates NBD in Dubai in his weekly commentary.
Saudi Arabia targets $100 crude price
January 16, 2012--Saudi Arabia is aiming to keep oil prices at around $100 a barrel, a third above its previous public target,
in a sign that Riyadh needs higher oil revenues to sustain a big hike in public spending.
