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Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 

Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 
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Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 

Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 

Saudi Arabia has granted approval for its first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking equities listed in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) said, marking the debut of such a product in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia's CMA said in a statement it approved local asset manager AlBilad Investment Company's request to offer "Albilad CSOP MSCI Hong Kong China Equity ETF" units on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

The ETF is a collaborative effort with Hong Kong's CSOP Asset Management, and focused on Hong Kong-listed companies including Chinese firms traded in the city.

Last November, Hong Kong launched Asia's first ETF tracking Saudi equities - CSOP Saudi Arabia ETF - and has been actively seeking cross-listing opportunities in both capital markets.

The Hong Kong-listed ETF's size has expanded to nearly HK$10 billion ($1.28 billion).

In June, Julia Leung, CEO of Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), visited Saudi Arabia to meet officials and discuss the potential listing of the ETFs on each other's exchanges.

China also approved its first two mainland listed ETFs tracking Hong Kong's CSOP Saudi Arabia ETF in June, seeking to further strengthen financial sector cooperation between the two regions and provide Chinese investors exposure to Middle East companies.

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Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
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Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Cut China's 2024 Growth Forecast

Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)
Citizens in the Chinese city of Shanghai follow repairs to power line in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China (AFP)

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have lowered their full-year projections for China's economic growth to 4.7%, after the world's second-largest economy's industrial output slowed to a five-month low in August.

Weak economic activity in August has ramped up attention on China's slow economic recovery and highlighted the need for further stimulus measures to shore up demand.

The faltering growth has prompted global brokerages to scale back their 2024 projections to below government's target of around 5%.

Goldman Sachs earlier expected full-year growth for the economy at 4.9%, while Citigroup had forecast growth at 4.8%.

China's industrial output in August expanded 4.5% year-on-year, slowing from the 5.1% pace in July and marking the slowest growth since March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Saturday.

Goldman Sachs said in a note dated Sept. 15, “We believe the risk that China will miss the 'around 5%' full-year GDP growth target is on the rise, and thus the urgency for more demand-side easing measures is also increasing.”

The bank maintained the country's 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.3%.

However, Citigroup on Sunday trimmed its 2025 year-end forecast for China's GDP growth to 4.2% from 4.5% due to a lack of major catalysts for domestic demand.

“We believe fiscal policy needs to step up to so as to break the austerity trap and timely deploy growth support,” economists at Citigroup said.

In a separate development, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is making “tangible investments” to ensure the Big Four firm has high quality and sustainable business in China, it said in a memo to staff after Chinese regulators on Friday hit the company's mainland unit with a record penalty.

PwC Zhong Tian LLP was hit with a six-month suspension and a record fine of 441 million yuan ($62 million) on Friday over the firm's audit of failed property developer China Evergrande Group .