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Kuwait market remains in lackluster mood
January 17, 2011--The KSE Market Index dipped 0.11% to close at 6,915. Banks and real estate firms performed weakly, while most insurers posted gains.
Arkan Al-Kuwait Real Estate Co. closed 7.02% lower at KD0.066. Al-Ahleia Insurance Co. was the main gainer, reaching KD0.530 (up 6%). Year-to-date, the KSE dipped 0.58%.
Dubai Gold And Commodities Exchange Weekly View- January 16, 2011
January 16, 2011--Economic Data Overview
The January 17 week is shortened in U.S. markets by the M.L. King, Jr. Day on Monday.
The relatively light data calendar for the week is dominated by housing data, although the earliest monthly reads on the manufacturing sector in January include the New York Fed's Empire State Survey on Tuesday and the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook on Thursday. After the soft patch of the summer months in 2010, the overall direction of manufacturing activity seems to have settled back into steady expansionary trends.
The Bank of Canada makes its routine policy statement on Tuesday and then the report on initial US jobless claims comes on Thursday. Claims levels have been moving lower, and the underlying trend appears to be nearing the 400,000 level. The data have been somewhat volatile due to some mismatches in the adjustment factors and levels that do not match the usual seasonal pattern.
The Conference Board's Leading Economic Indicator for December on Thursday should increase for another month on positive contributions from interest rates, stock prices, unemployment claims, consumer confidence, building permits, new orders, money supply, and contracts for plant and equipment expenditures.
At a corporate level, the release of Q4 earnings data picks up pace in the week. A number of major financial firms are on the calendar, as well as some other industry giants and market favourites. On Tuesday, the main reports are from Apple, Charles Schwab, Citigroup and Delta Air Lines. On Wednesday, the big names are eBay, Goldman Sachs, State Street and Wells Fargo. On Thursday, the eye-catching reports will probably be AMD, Fifth Third Bancorp, Google, Morgan Stanley, Southwest Airlines and Tyco Electronics. On Friday, reports are expected from Air Products, Aigas, Bank of America, BB&T Corporation, GE and Schlumberger.
For the remainder of January, the Bank of Japan Governors meet on
National Bank of Kuwait shares dive 2.7%
January 13, 2011--Kuwait's KSE Market or Price Index lost 0.17%, ending at 6,936.3. While insurers emerged strongly, banks weighed on the market sentiment. The Gulf state's largest lender National Bank of Kuwait, known as NBK, plummeted 2.7% to finish at KD1.420.
Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co. jumped 9% to reach KD.300, posting the largest gain for the second day straight.
Abu Dhabi bourse dips amid lacklustre trading
January 13, 2011--The ADX General Index closed down 0.08% at 2,737.65 Thursday as investors preferred to stay on the sidelines. During the second week of January, the ADXGI lost half a percent. Dana Gas recocered 1.33%,
reaching Dhs0.75. Union Cement Company (up 9.72% at Dhs1.58) was the main gainer.
Dubai market ends the week in the red
January 13, 2011--The DFM General Market opened Thursday slightly up but eventually dipped 0.18% to close at 1,624.94 points. Even Emaar's advance of 0.58% (at Dhs3.47) could not support the market which saw 64.2m shares worth Dhs112.9m being (off 13.5%) traded. Gulf General Investment Company, known as GGICO, posted the largest loss (down 5.58% at Dhs0.491).
NASDAQ Dubai-listed DP World shares extended their rally, finishing 1.05% higher at $0.673. Earlier in the day, the maritime port operator announced that Chief Operating Officer Anil Wats sold 199,864 shares at a price of $0.64 on 9 January 2011. "Following this sale Anil Wats does not own any DP World shares", the statement to the NASDAQ Dubai says. Over the week the DFMGI dived 2.62%.
Saudi Arabia could soon allow foreign investors direct access to stock market
January 12, 2011-- Foreign investors could soon have direct market access to Saudi Arabia's stock market, Reuters has reported. Tadawul officials asked representatives from regional banks and brokerages at a December 21 meeting to check capabilities for handling foreign accounts,
according to a document seen by the news service. "We might see the markets opening up in the first half of 2011 or probably in the second quarter," a source familiar with discussions said. "It's not a question of if it will happen but when it will happen."
Abu Dhabi bourse closes unchanged
January 12, 2011--The ADX General Market closed at 2,739.84 points (off 0.01%). Dana Gas posted the largest decline, ending 2.30% lower at Dhs0.76. But energy bellwether TAQA gained 1.36% to reach Dhs1.48, offsetting losses in the real estate sector.
Aldar Properties finished 1.31% lower at Dhs2.27. Seven shares gained in Abu Dhabi, nine closed flat and eight declined.
Kuwait Insurance Company hits 10-week high
January 12, 2011--Kuwait's KSE Market or Price Index eased 0.03% to end at 6,948.4 points as shares performed mixed. Kuwait Remal Real Estate Co. surged 10% to reach KD0.275,
, bucking the overall weak trend in the real estate segement. Kuwait Insurance Co. gained 6.9%, closing at KD0.385, the highest price level since November 3 2010. Gulf Investment House was the main loser on Wednesday, finishing off 8% at KD0.057.
Saudi Hollandi Bank gains on 820% rise in profits
January 12. 2011--The Tadawul market in Riyadh added a quarter percent, reaching 6,717.18 points. Shares of Saudi Hollandi Bank added 0.33% to reach SR30.10. Earlier in the day, Saudi Hollandi reported 2010 net profits of SR790.4m compared to SR85.9m last year, an increase of 820%.
Since September 2009 Saudi Hollandi shares have been trading in a range between SR30 and SR35. Banque Saudi Fransi, on the other hand, ended even at SR44.90 after the bank reported a net income for the last 12 months of SR2,801m against SR2,471m for the corresponding period of 2009, an increase of 13.35%. The Mediterranean & Gulf Insurance & Reinsurance Co. was the main loser, dipping 1.82% to finish at SR27.00. Sixty-six shares gained, 51 lost value and 28 closed unchanged in Riyadh.
Dubai Mercantile Exchange Records 35% Increase in Trading
January 11, 2011--The Dubai Mercantile Exchange Limited (DME) today released its annual review for 2010, reporting a 35% year-on-year increase in trading volumes and record levels of open interest.
Average daily volumes (ADV) for the DME Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract (DME Oman) reached 2,898 contracts traded (equivalent to 2.9 million barrels of oil per day), with a high of more than 3,000 ADV during the fourth quarter. The DME also set a new record for physical delivery in September 2010, with 15.1 million barrels delivered through the exchange during the month. The DME remains the world’s largest physically delivered crude oil futures contract, providing investors and traders with a transparent mechanism to identify and track the link between supply, demand and price for physical barrels.
