Abu Dhabi investment firm sees value bets in UAE
April 25, 2011--Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Invest AD has said that despite the recent rally a few select banks and holding companies in the UAE are attractive buys, Reuters has reported. "In the UAE, there are still a few companies which are quoting at significant discount to fair value. People have painted everything with the same brush,"
Sachin Mohindra, manager for Invest AD's GCC Focus Fund told the daily. "If you look at some of the bigger Abu Dhabi banks like FGB or NBAD, they earn a return on equity of around 18% and are still available below book value," he said. "There is a mispricing somewhere and it will play out eventually."
Source: AME Info
Tadawul bourse adds a quarter percent
April 25, 2011--For Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, known as Sabic, the only way remains up. Sabic rose for the fourth day straight, closing at SR112.5 (up 0.67%).
The Tadawul market index finished 0.24% higher on Saturday, ending at 6,590.64 points. Al Rajhi Takaful plummeted 10%, closing at SR39.60. Petro Rabigh posted the largest advance (gaining 9.69% at SR26.60). Fifty-seven shares added value, 72 lost and 16 ended even.
Source: AME Info
Saudi unemployment reached 10% in 2010
April 25, 2011--According to a report by Banque Saudi Fransi, unemployment in Saudi Arabia reached 10% in 2010, with the highest among Saudis in the age group of twenty to twenty-four years, reaching 39%, Arab News has reported.
These figures would continue to increase in the coming two years, the bank said. More than two million jobs were created in the private sector during the past five years, of which Saudis only constituted about 10%, the report said.
Source: AME Info
Markets seen consolidating; Egypt eyes Mobinil
Saudi petrochemicals to outperform
Egypt awaits turmoil impact on Mobinil earnings
April 21, 2011--Trading in Gulf Arab markets appears immune at times from turmoil in the wider region, judging from new highs reached this week.
Upbeat first quarter earnings from companies in Saudi Arabia spurred gains, and the petrochemical sector is forecast to outperform on rising fuel prices.
But regional stock indexes are due for a correction, analysts say, as share trading shifts to track global equities and energy prices more closely.
Source: Reuters
Qatar market recovers a quarter percent
April 21, 2011--The QE Index closed 0.23% higher at 8,647.73 points. The country's largest conventional bankk Qatar National Bank soared 2.82%, ending at QR149.50.
Al Khaleej Takaful dipped 2.22%, finishing at QR44.00. Shares of Barwa Real Estate ended off 1.80% at QR32.80. The total trading value during the period of April 17 through April 21 reached QR1.7bn, the QE management revealed.
Source: AME Info
Egypt economy contracts 7%
April 21, 2011--Egyptian finance minister Samir Radwan has said the country's economy has contracted 7% in the third quarter of the fiscal year that ends on June 30, Bloomberg has reported.
Exports fell 40%, the value of imports increased due to higher global commodity prices and tourism revenue "went away," the minister told Cairo-based TV channel ONTV. Egypt will obtain a $2.2bn loan from the World Bank, payable over 18 years with an interest rate below 3%, Radwan said in the interview.
Source: AME Info
Emaar The Economic City gains on lower net loss in the first quarter
April 20, 2011--The Saudi Tadawul market added 0.76% to reach 6,574.66 points.
Shares of Emaar The Economic City, a multi-billion dollar project near the Red Sea city of Jeddah, added 0.74% to close at SR6.80. Earlier in the day, Emaar TEC announced that it suffered a net loss in the first quarter of 2011, amounting to SR13.58m, compared to a net loss of SR 53.46m for the same period in 2010, representing a decrease of 74.59%, and compared to a net loss of SR206.35m posted in the previous quarter (Q4 2010) representing a decrease of 93.42 %. Market bellwether Sabic soared 2.52%, closing at a 2.5-year high at SR111.75.
Source: AME Info
Qatar Exchange weakens insignificantly
April 20, 2011--The QE Index ended 0.06% lower at 8,628.28, despite all sectors landing in the green, except the banking segment. Qatar National Bank weakened 0.48% at QR145.40.
Earlier in the day, the QE announced that it has along with Qatar Telecom and NYSE Euronext (NYX) concluded a major partnership agreement to enable the extension of the Secure Financial Transaction Infrastructure (SFTI) network platform to Qatar, connecting financial participants in the US and Europe to the Qatar markets. "The pioneering solution will see Qtel providing global connectivity, a complete disaster recovery solution, and premium network services to support the extension of SFTI to Qatar."
Source: AME Info
Kuwait market adds 0.61%, breaks through 6,400
April 20. 2011--The KSE Market Index closed at a four-week hihgh at 6,439.3. Equipment Holding posted the largest gain (up 8.4% at KD0.064).
National Bank of Kuwait added KD0.020 to reach KD1.220. Alargan International Real Estate Co. dived 9.9% at KD0.182.
Source: AME Info
Dubai bourse tops Arab capital markets
April 20, 2011--The DFM General Index gained 1.60% on Wednesday, closing at 1,680.96. Year-to-date, the DFm soared 3.09%. Dubai is therefore the only Arab market as of now, which generated an stock index profit.
Emaar Properties added 1.47% to reach Dhs3.46. Islamic home finance company Tamweel confirmen media reports from yesterday that it applied for resumption of tradig of its shares and that the issue was still pending. Dubai Insurance was the main loser (down 10% at Dhs2.25). Twenty-three stocks gained, seven lost and two ended flat. Some 244.2m shares valued at Dhs291.22m changed hands.
Source: AME Info