SABIC dips, discloses annual results
January 18, 2011--The Tadawul'a main index TASI declined 0.78% on Tuesday, closing at 6,715.64 points. Market bellwether and petrochemical giant SABIC finished off 1.34% at SR110.75. SABIC annonced that it net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 was SR 5.81 billion compared to the net income of SR4.58bn for the same quarter in 2009 representing an increase of 27%, and compared to the net income for the third quarter of 2010 of SR5.33bn representing an increase of 9%.
The net income for the twelve months period ended December 31, 2010 amounts to SR21.59bn compared to the net income of SR9.07bnfor the same period in 2009, an increase of 138%. Samba Financial Group ended down 1.24% at SR59.75. Earlier in the day, Credit Suisse analyst Mohamad Hawa commented on Samba's results from yesterday: "Samba reported weak Q4 results with net income of SR901m (down 18.3% q-o-q and up 7.9% y-o-y) below both our estimates and consensus estimates by 21.7% and 11.7% respectively. (...) While we expect the results to weigh on the share performance in the short term, we continue to believe that Samba is well positioned for growth once loan demand picks up, while current valuation of below 2x book 2011e remains quite reasonable." Ash-Sharqiyah Development Company was the main gainer of the day, closing 4.36% higher at SR40.70.
Source: AME Info
Nasdaq Dubai Proposes Rule Changes To Encourage Retail IPOs, Attract Small And Medium Enterprises And Family Companies
Janary 18, 2011--Nasdaq Dubai today announced proposals for wide-ranging changes to its listing rules, including steps to increase participation by individual investors in initial public offerings (IPOs).
All IPOs would be required to reserve at least 10% of the offer for individual investors, or else have a minimum of 400 institutional or individual security holders, under the proposals. The current rules contain no minimum requirements.
Source: Nasdaq Dubai
Kuwait Stock Exchange stabilises
January 18, 2011--The KSE Market or Price Index added 0.04% to close at 6,918. Gulf Investment House surged 8% to reach KD0.054. Fist Takaful Insurance Company was the main loser, finishing 11.11% lower at KD0.080. Global Investment House closed flat at KF0.058. Earlier in the day, Global commented on the KSE's market performance in 2010: "Volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 29.81 percent to 74.69bn shares.
In line, the value of shares traded decreased 41.71 percent to stand at KD12.53bn ($44.43bn)." Global added, that "the Investment sector led the market in terms of volume accounting for 28.95% of total shares traded while the Services sector was most active in terms of value traded accounting for 30.34% of the aggregate."
Source: AME
Dubai bourse gains 0.56%, reaching 1,608.97
January 17, 2011--Arabtec was the most actively traded share in relation to value, closing 1.09% higher at Dhs1.85. Earlier in the day, Arabtec said in a statement to the DFM it has received a letter of award from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to build an underground car park at ADNOC's headquarter.
The project is worth Dhs219m. Arabtec's Egypt subsidiary was also granted a luxury villa project worth Dhs137m by Emaar Misr. Most construction firms and real estate developers gained, while Union Properties declined 1.07% to end at Dhs0.371. Nine stocks gained, 12 declined and three closed flat. Traded volumes and values weakened 46% to 42.8m shares worth Dhs69.79m changed hands.
Source: AME Info
TAQA shares gain on Caribbean exit
January 17, 2011-Abu Dhabi's ADX General Index weakened 0.85% to end at 2,690.07 points. Abu Dhabi National Energy Co., better known as TAQA, added 0.68% to reach Dhs1.49. Earlier in the day, TAQA said it has sold its stake in Marubeni TAQA Caribbean Ltd., a move which terminates TAQA's purchase of 50% of Marubeni's assets going back to March 2009.
TAQA added it aims to focus on it water and power business in the MENA region. Construction and real estate shares weighed on the market. Aldar Properties lost further, finishing off 3.79% to close at Dhs2.06. Sorouh Real Estate bucked the trend and ended unchanged at Dhs1.53. Nine shares advanced, 8 closed flat and 13 lost value.
Source: AME Info
Insurance operators drag Qatar market down
January 17, 2011--Shares at the Qatar bourse QE lost across the board, dragging the QE Index down by 0.85% to 9,163.84. Qatar Insurance weakened 1.83%, closing at QR91.30.
Islamic Insurance finished off 0.40% to close at QR49.50. Mannai Corporation, a mixed industrial group, posted the largest advance, closing 7.62% higher at QR139.90.
Source: AME Info
Tadawul bourse loses 0.30%
January 17, 2011--The Saudi Stock Exchange closed off 0.30% at 6,768.24 points on Monday as financials and transport firms posted losses. The Kingdom Holding Company closed unchanged at SR9.25. Earlier in the day, the holding, owned by HH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, announced that interim net income for the last twelve month period amounts to SR605.2m compared to the net income of SR402.6m for the same period in 2009, which represents an increase of 50.3%.
"The reason for the change in net income is due to an increase in income from investment, the improvement of hotel operations, and operations in associates, despite the decrease in dividends from the Companys investments in the international markets", Kingdom Holding said in a statement to the Tadawul market. Petrochemical bellwether SABIC extended its rally, gaining 1.35% to reach SR112.25. Twenty-eight shares gained, 101 stocks decreased in value and 16 closed flat.
Source: AME Info
Gulf sukuk issuance bounces back 61% following recessionary crisis
January 17, 2011-- The value of Islamic bonds (sukuk) issued in the Gulf[2] has jumped 61% in the past year having slumped to the lowest level in four years as a result of a number of factors,
including the global financial crisis, according to research by Trowers & Hamlins, the international law firm.
Source: AME Info
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%.
Source: AME Info
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
Source: Source: Dubai Gold And Commodities Exchange