Middle East ETF News Older than One Year
Real estate firms lose at Kuwait bourse
February 16, 2011--The KSE Market or Price Index declined 1.38% to close at 6,559.5 points. Kuwait Real Estate Co. dived 5% to close at KD0.056. The real estate sector index was the main losing segment (down 2.29%).
The country's largest lender National Bank of Kuwait (NBK, down 1.42% at KD1.380) remained locked up in its trading range between KD1.400 and 1.360. A number of insurers bucked the trend such as Warba Insurance Co. which gained 6.25% to reach KD0.170.
Source: AME Info
Saudi Stock Exchange loses 1.8%
February 16, 2011--In line with the global downturn, the Tadawul All Share Index in Riyadh declined 1.8% to finish at 6,486.83 points.
Petrochemical bellwether SABIC dived 2.17% to close at SR101.25. Zain KSA bucked the trend by gaining 0.62% to reach SR81.10. Only six shares advanced on Wednesday, 137 lost and two ended unchanged.
Source: AME Info
Egyptian Exchange again delays reopening
February 16, 2011--The Egyptian Exchange has again postponed its reopening and says it will only open when the strike-hit banking system gets back to normal.
Dates mentioned include 20 or 22 Feb, and the bourse is likely to introduce rules to limit trading volatility. It closed on 27 Jan after a 16% fall in its EGX30 Index.
Source: AME Info
Fish producer Asmak jump 10% on return to profits
February 15, 2011--The local stock market of the sheikhdom Abu Dhabi saw its ADX benchmark index to close 0.18% higher at 2,715.91. Shares of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, known as ADIB, climbed 2.25% to reach Dhs3.13.
ADIB reported an impressive 1,211%-rise in net profits for 2010 of Dhs1.023bn. ADIB has been running a massive marketing campaign for the last half year in order to promote its Sharia'ah-compliant credit card, enabling customers to collect air miles for Abu Dhabi's national carrier Etihad Airways while paying with the card. Shares of International Fish Farming Co., known as Asmak (Arabic for fishes), jumped 10% higher to reach Dhs8.80. Asmak generated a net profit of Dhs72.41m for 2010 compared to a net loss of Dhs14.39m a year earlier. After touching a five-year low on Monday, Sorouh Real Estate fell further today, finishing down 1.52% at Dhs1.30. Eight stocks gained, 10 ended flat and nine closed even in Abu Dhabi.
Source: AME Info
Kuwait banks fail to lift stock market index
February 15, 2011--Despite gains in the banking and industry sector, the KSE Market Index weakened by 0.14% to close at 6,651.4 points.
Financial heavyweights National Bank of Kuwait (up 2.94% at KD1.400) and Islamic bank Kuwait Finance House (up 1.72% at KD1.180) were the main gainers in the banking segment. International Finance Co. posted the largest loss, declining by 8.1% to close at KD0.248.
Source: AME Info
Qatar market gains 0.50%
February 15, 2011--The QE Index in Doha closed on Tuesday at 8,981.10. Qatar Electricity And Water Company closed 0.62% lower at QR129.20. Earlier in the day, Qatar Electricity disclosed an audited net profit of QR1.2bn in 2010 compared to QR945m in 2009.
Logistics specialist Gulf Warehousing Co. surged 9.90% to reach QR27.75. The firm's Annual General Meeting on Monday approved the Board of Directors' proposal for distributing a cash dividend at the rate of 10% of the nominal value of the share representing QR1 per share.
Source: AME Info
Foreign investors keeping close eye on Saudi stock exchange situation
February 15, 2011--Although officials in Saudi deny any changes are imminent, there is growing talk of the region's biggest stock exchange being opened up to direct investment from foreigners. But what would this mean for Saudi, and why are policymakers taking so long to make the transition?
Although officials have since denied its existence, a document seen by newswire Reuters in January this year apparently showed that at a December 2010 meeting, Saudi stock exchange officials asked representatives from regional banks and brokerages to check capabilities for handling foreign accounts. "We might see the markets opening up in the first half of 2011 or probably in the second quarter," a source familiar with discussions told the newswire. "It's not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen."
Source: AME Info
Standard & Poor’s to launch S&P/Harel Sector Indices on the Israeli equity market
September 14, 2011--Standard & Poor's (MHP.N) said on Monday it will launch two equity indexes along with Harel Financial Group (HARL.TA) that will track Israel's energy and telecommunications sectors.
The S&P/Harel sector indexes are part of a collaboration whereby S&P will launch the indexes while Harel, one of Israel's largest insurance companies and brokerages, will issue investment products that track them. [ID:nPnNY47543]
On Feb. 23, Harel will issue two products based on the S&P/Harel Tel Aviv Energy and S&P/Harel Tel Aviv Telecommunication indexes.
Source: AME Info
Islamic directive shocks Qatari banks
February 14, 2011--A directive by Qatar’s central bank has perplexed and infuriated bankers and analysts in the gas-rich emirate.
The central bank this month ordered conventional banks to close their Islamic banking operations by the end of 2011. This deadline is less than a year since the regulator’s Islamic “window” rules were sharpened, and six years after it first permitted conventional banks to make Islamic loans.
Source: FT.com
Dubai market gains 0.33%, stabilises above 1,600
February 14, 2011--As in the days before, the DFM index rose sharply at the opening, but lost steam when it approached the market's closure, finishing 0.33% higher at 1,608.29. Contractor Drake and Scull International (DSI) surged 3.67% to reach Dhs1.13 as investors hailed DSI's new contract it has won on Saudi Arabia.
DSI will build for SR2bn the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh. Arab Insurance Group, known as ARIG, posted the largest gain (up 14.04% at Dhs1.95) reported for 2010 a net profit of $23.5m compared to $26.4m in the previous year. Emaar Properties declined 0.31% to Dhs3.25. Some 152.2m shares worth Dhs11.45m changed hands. Nine stocks gained, 14 declined and three remained even.
Source: AME Info
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