Tadawul market extends losing streak while market breadth improves
May 07, 2012--In Riyadh, the Saudi Stock Exchange's benchmark measure Tasi closed 0.25% lower at 7,358.87 points as oil prices declined below $97 per barrel (U. S. crude).
Oil lost 6.42% during the last four weeks on worries over a global economic slowdown. Sabic, the global petrochem producer, ended off 0.25% at SR99.50. Zamil Industrial slipped 0.66% to SR29.90. Earlier in the day, Zamil anounced that its subsidiary Zamil Steel Buildings Vietnam has been awarded a SR60m ($16m) contract from PT Caterpillar Indonesia, a heavy machinery and equipment manufacturing company located in Cileungsi, Bogor, Indonesia, to fabricate and supply Pre-engineered Steel Buildings for the new Caterpillar Batam facility in Indonesia. Market breadth improved as 51 shares advanced while 86 declined.
Source: AME Info
Qatar Telecom dips slightly, Tunisia subsidiary scores 3G license
May 07, 2012--The Qatar Exchange 20 Index declined 0.38% to 8,651.76 points. Losses occured across all sectors without any clear direction visible among the segments.
Qatar Telecom or Qtel declined by half a percentage point to hit QR137.40. Earlier in the day, Qtel announced that its Tunis-based unit of Qtel, Tunisiana has acquired licences to operate 3G and fixed-line networks in the North African country, Gulf Times has reported. The company will pay $132m for the rights, the Tunisian ministry of information technologies and communications said.
Source: AME Info
Batelco shares rebound further while market index stagnates
May 07, 2012--The Manama-based Bahrain All-Share Index dipped insignificantly Monday, closing at 1,161.43 points.
Gulf Hotels Group lost the most, closing down 9.72% at BD0.65. Islamic financial institution Ithmaar Bank posed the largest advance (up nine percent at $0.24). Bahrain Telecom or Batelco added 1.30% to reach BD0.468. Batelco reached a 11-month high two weeks ago when it climbed to BD0.486, but retreated thereafter on profit booking. Year-to-date the Bahrain gauge added 1.55%.
Source: AME Info
Abu Dhabi exchange posts the fourth consecutive day loss
May 07, 2012--Contrary to Dubai, the ADX bourse saw no end in sluggish trading Monday, as its main gauge ADXGI ended off 0.30% at 2,487.84 points.
Sharjah-based Dana Gas dived 2.27% to close at Dhs0.43. Etisalat, RAK Properties and RAK Cement closed the day unchanged. Green Crescent Insurance Company gained the most, closing 6.90% higher at Dhs0.31. Around 39.9m shares were traded, valued at Dhs68.8m.
Source: AME Info
Dubai market bounces back as Shuaa Capital soars
May 07, 2012--The Dubai Financial Market General Index (DFMGI) gained 0.25% Monday to close at 1,564.15, despite negative input from Asian and European stock exchanges. Investment bank Shuaa Capital jumped 6.21% to reach Dhs0.787.
Earlier in the day, Shuaa reported that its first quarter loss narrowed Dhs8.5m, compared to Dhs26.3m in the corresponding period in 2011. Shuaa commented the development: "Revenues in the first quarter 2012 increased by 103% to Dhs55.0m over Q1 2011 and net loss for the period narrowed to Dhs8.5m as the business makes progress. Overall expenses declined 7.4% to Dhs62.1m million vs Q1 2011 as our rightsizing program starts to show results." Market bellwether Emaar slipped 0.33%, while the DFM, as the only listed Arab bourse, rebounded 1.87%. With today's gain, the DFMGI ended the longest consecutive series of losses since 2006. Around 185.4m shares were traded, valued at Dhs250.7m .
Source: AME Info
Egypt foreign reserves see first improvement since 2010 uprising
May 07, 2012--According to data by Egypt's central bank, the country's foreign reserves rose in April for the first time since December 2010, Reuters has reported.
The reserves have tumbled by more than half since a popular uprising toppled Egypt's president in February 2011 and sent the economy into a tailspin. Foreign reserves edged up to $15.21bn at the end of April from $15.12bn at the end of March, the central bank said.
Source: AME Info
Batelco shares rebound further while market index stagnates
May 07, 2012--The Manama-based Bahrain All-Share Index dipped insignificantly Monday, closing at 1,161.43 points.
Gulf Hotels Group lost the most, closing down 9.72% at BD0.65. Islamic financial institution Ithmaar Bank posed the largest advance (up nine percent at $0.24). Bahrain Telecom or Batelco added 1.30% to reach BD0.468. Batelco reached a 11-month high two weeks ago when it climbed to BD0.486, but retreated thereafter on profit booking. Year-to-date the Bahrain gauge added 1.55%. [AMEInfo.com]
Source: AME Info
Egyptian Exchange (EGX) Board Approves A Proposal To Exempt Companies From Listing Fees And Submit A Proposal To EFSA Concerning A Mechanism For Large Volume Deals
May 7, 2012--The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) board approved exemption of companies from the listing fees of the first time. This exemption is provided that companies finished all listing and offering procedures within a period not exceeding three months from 1/7/2012 to 30/9/2012.
EGX listing sector will facilitate the documentation and procedural cycle for listing and public offering. This decision came as a part of EGX marketing policy aiming to attract new companies to list on the stock market.
Source: Zawya
IMF working paper-Natural Resources, Volatility, and Inclusive Growth: Perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa
May 7, 2012--Summary: This paper takes stock of the economic performance of resource rich countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the past forty years. While those countries have maintained high levels of income per capita, they have performed poorly when going beyond the assessment based on standard income level measures.
Resource rich countries in MENA have experienced relatively low and non inclusive economic growth as well as high levels of macroeconomic volatility. Important improvements in health and education have taken place but the quality of the provision of public goods and services remains an important source of concerns. Looking forward we argue that the success of economic reforms in MENA rests on the ability of those countries to invest boldly in building inclusive institutions as well as high levels of human capacity in public administrations.
Source: IMF
DGCX Establishes New Monthly Volumes Record in April
Exchange registers 559,781 contracts in April, valued at $22.42 billion, a growth of 146% from April
Exchange crosses 2 million mark in 82 trading days; Year-to-date volumes on DGCX exceeds 2.1 million contracts, a 131% rise from 2011
Indian Rupee Futures establish new monthly volumes record of 499,478 contracts in April
New Copper Futures contract gets off to a good start with 15,582 contracts in the first seven trading days
April 5, 2012--April volumes on the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) registered a 146% growth from the same month in 2011 to reach 559,781 contracts,
the highest ever monthly volumes registered by the Exchange.
This is the second consecutive month in which DGCX has achieved record-breaking monthly volumes. April volumes represent a value of $22.42 billion.
On April 25, year-to-date volumes on DGCX surpassed the two million contracts mark. Achieved in 82 trading days, this is the earliest it has crossed this figure in any year since inception. Year-to-date volumes on the Exchange, at the end of April, reached 2,105,680 contracts, valued at $86.5 billion, a 131% rise from 2011. Average daily volume (ADV) in April increased 146% year-on-year to reach 27,989 contracts.
Visit http://www.dgcx.ae for more information.
Source: Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX)