Middle East ETF News Older than One Year
DGCX 2010 Trading Volume Crosses One Million
DGCX volumes cross the one million contracts mark on July 13, 2010
Exchange records 48% increase in year-to-date volume compared with 2009
July 18, 2010--The Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange today announced that its total volume for 2010 surpassed the one million contracts mark on July 13, 2010 the earliest it has exceeded this milestone in any year since inception.
Trading volume stood at 1,006,485 contracts on July 13, 2010 representing a total value of US $58 billion and a 48% increase on the YTD volume of 678,716 contracts achieved within the same period last year. Higher volumes in 2010 have been driven by significant growth across all product segments which include precious metals, currencies and energy.
Commenting on the milestone, Eric Hasham, CEO of DGCX said, “Topping the one million contracts mark in just over six months is further evidence of the growing demand for both currency and commodity derivatives this year. It is also a sign of the Exchange’s growing profile as a leading venue for hedging and investing. Encouraged by the performance of the first six months, we are looking forward to a strong end of year.”
The new milestone follows an all-time monthly high of 192,138 contracts achieved by DGCX in June 2010, surpassing the previous peak reached in November 2009.
Source: Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange
Dubai Gold And Commodities Exchange Weekly Views July 18th, 2010
July 18, 2010--Commodities Overview
Gold, silver, and petroleum prices were caught up in a broad sell off of assets last Friday, from stocks to dollars to commodities. There were various theories and rumors as to why prices fell, but most of them did not stand up to scrutiny. One rumor related to heavy liquidation by a long gold investor, but the market did not seem to reflect such trades. Given that the selling occurred across a wide spectrum of markets, it is unlikely that it was primarily driven by fundamentals in gold, oil, or any other single asset market.
Such conditions may have contributed to the urge to sell, but the selling, which started in Asia Friday morning, was too broad based to reflect such events. The primary factor behind the sell off appears to have been stale-bull liquidation, as investors sought to take profits in various markets that either had risen in recent weeks, or had risen and then had stalled out. Additionally, financial market participants are concerned about the potential unintended side effects of the U.S. financial regulatory reform bill passed by Congress on 15 July.
Currencies Overview
The dollar took a drubbing against many currencies last week. The majority of the dollar’s weakness may be in the market now, however, and the dollar could see some recovery in the coming week. The dollar’s recent weakness has reflected many varying economic trends. First, there are signs that the U.S. economy is slowing. This was expected, but some indicators are that the second-half slowdown will be greater than had been anticipated. This has taken some investor interest away from the dollar and dollar-denominated investments. At the same time economic conditions in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Japan are showing signs of greater strength than had been expected. Economic conditions are still weak and vulnerable in these countries and regions, but they are better than the markets had been giving them credit for in May and all of June.
Source: Dubai Gold And Commodities Exchange (DGCX)
Iraq to offer full crude volumes for August
July 15, 2010--Iraq is to supply crude to the majority of Asian term buyers at full contracted volumes for August, compared with an average 10% to 15% cut for July, Reuters has reported, citing oil traders.
The cuts for July had been as deep as 50%, though some received full allocations, traders said. "Ports conditions seem to be better now and loading is faster than before," one source was quoted as saying.
Source: AME Info
Kuwait Stock Exchange remains in up-and-down mood
July 15, 2010--The KSE Market Index ended 0.43% lower at 6,512.70 points as only the industrial index added value. Salbookh Trading posted the largest advance, closing 8.62% higher at KD0.063.
First Takaful Insurance Company plummeted 19.69% lower at KD0.106. Over the week the KSE Market or Price Index added some 16 points in a series of lackluster trading sessions
Source: AME Info
Doha bourse fails to sustain above 7,000 points
July 15, 2010--Negative input from oversea markets dragged the Qatar Exchange (QE). The QE Index closed 0.78% lower at 6,963.53 points. Investors booked profits in the financial segment in particular.
The country's largest financial institution Qatar National Bank (QNB) ended 0.43% lower at QR137. Fitch ratings services affirmed the 'A+' rating of QNB with outlook 'stable'. Trading volumes dropped insignificantly as 3.77m stocks changed hands (compared to 3.91m shares on Wednesday).
Source: AME Info
Abu Dhabi market declines slightly
July 15, 2010--Abu Dhabi's ADX General Index dipped slightly, closing at 2,523.78 points. Shares of real estate bellwether Aldar Properties ended 0.74% lower at Dhs2.67. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) ended among the top gainers. ADCB shares added 1.79% and closed at Dhs1.70.
The sheikhdom's largest financial institution National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), on the other hand, closed unchanged at Dhs11.00. A total of five shares closed even, 10 advanced and nine lost value.
Source: AME Info
Tadawul bourse: resilient financials, sluggish petrochemicals
July 14, 2010--Riyadh's Tasi composite ended 0.67% lower at 6,174.74 points. While a number of banks bucked the downtrend, such as Samba (up 1.32% at SR57.50), investors booked profits at petrochemical leader Sabic (down SR2 at SR88.00) or Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (7.36% lower atSR39.00).
Al-Ahlia Insurance Company topped the charts and finished 4.82% higher at SR59.75. But just twenty shares added value, despite bullish inputs from overseas, and 106 lost value while 16 ended flat.
Source: AME Info
Qatar Exchange recaptures 7,000-points level
July 14, 2010--The Doha-based QE Index ended at 7,018.48 points (up 0.85%) as trading volumes nearly doubled to some 3.9m stocks changing hands. Insurance firms in particular outperformed the market. Islamic insurance topped the charts by gaining 6.67%, closing at QR45.20.
Qatar Insurance (4% higher at QR69.00) and Doha Insurance (up 3% at QR28.00) joined the top 10 stocks. But General Insurance dipped against the sector trend by posting the biggest loss among all shares, ending 2.66% lower at QR51.20. The QE Index posted the highest gain in the GCC on Wednesday
Source: AME Info
Bahrain bourse stabilizes
July 14, 2010--As trading interest nears meltdown in Manama, the BSE index added 0.05% and closed at 1,389.58 points.
Most shares did not post a price change, and only Inovest added value. The share gained 6.25%, closing at $0.51. No stock lost value at the BSE.
Source: AME Info
ETFs are sure bet for Qatar, Gulf bourses’
July 12, 2010--
ETFs will boost liquidity and attract international investors to the region, according to Blackrock vice president Robert Blackwell
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are sure bet for Qatar as well as other Gulf bourses to increase the liquidity and to enhance global visibility for their listed entities, according to a UK-based asset management firm Blackrock.
“If more ETFs are in the region, there should be more liquidity. International investors will have more access to the region,” Blackrock vice president Robert Blackwell told Gulf Times in an interview.
ETFs are mostly (but not exclusively) index-based open-ended funds that can be bought and sold as quickly and easily as ordinary shares on a stock exchange. They provide investors with the opportunity to access markets that were previously closed to them. Asked whether the ETFs offered more global visibility to the listed companies, he said it would absolutely do so and “anything that increase the liquidity is a good thing.”
Highlighting greater demand for ETFs from the service providers in future, Blackwell said there was already one country-specific ETF in the UAE. In October 2009, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Dow Jones Indexes announced that the bank had licensed the Dow Jones GCC Titans 50 Total Return Index with Saudi Local UAE Index (Dow Jones GCC Titans 50), the first index authorised by Tadawul to include Saudi Arabian stocks.
The Dow Jones GCC Titans 50 measures the performance of 50 leading component stocks traded in the Gulf region. “I think there is scope for ETFs in Qatar as international investors are interested in bringing money,” Broadwell said, adding any ETF should comprise broad market sectors.
Source: Gulf Times
If you are looking for a particuliar article and can not find it, please feel free to contact us for assistace.
