Foreigners Pump $1.3Bn to Invest in Saudi Stock Market

An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. (Reuters)
An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. (Reuters)
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Foreigners Pump $1.3Bn to Invest in Saudi Stock Market

An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. (Reuters)
An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. (Reuters)

Foreign investors pumped more than USD1.3 billion as they sought to directly buy shares of Saudi firms listed in the local market, indicating the vitality of the Kingdom’s capital market.

The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) announced that the net foreign purchases through direct foreign investment reached SAR5.15 billion (USD1.37 billion).

Meanwhile, the Saudi stock index commenced the week’s trading on Sunday at around 9,000 points amid limited profit gaining operations.

SABIC 's share backed the positive coherence of the Saudi shares market on Sunday, closing at a remarkable stabilization at SAR117.80 (USD31.4) per share.

This follows the company’s announcement of obtaining all required regular approvals, including environment licenses, to establish a joint project for petrochemical industries with ExxonMobil off the Gulf coast of the United States. SABIC expects this project to have a positive impact on the unified financial lists.

Several finance houses and local and international investment firms are eyeing the volume of opportunities in the Saudi capital market, while the inclusion of the index to a number of global indices is expected to increase the interest of international investors.

The market value stabilized at SAR2.1 trillion (USD560 billion), while the recurring revenues of the market trading totaled around 20.1. These positive figures indicate the solidity of the Saudi stock market and the ability of the listed firms to achieve positive operational profits that support the attractiveness of the market trading.

In a related context, the Saudi stock exchange index of SMEs jumped around 1 percent on Sunday, in which the market index rose an estimate of 34 points. These updates coincide with 85 listed companies outcomes showing progress in their financial performance.



Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices rose over 1% to hit a two-week peak on Friday, heading for the best weekly performance in more than a year, buoyed by safe-haven demand as Russia-Ukraine tensions intensified.

Spot gold jumped 1.3% to $2,703.05 per ounce as of 1245 GMT, hitting its highest since Nov. 8. US gold futures gained 1.1% to $2,705.30.

Bullion rose despite the US dollar hitting a 13-month high, while bitcoin hit a record peak and neared the $100,000 level.

"With both gold and USD (US dollar) rising, it seems that safe-haven demand is lifting both assets," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Ukraine's military said its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations and other military installations in Russia, Reuters reported.

Gold has gained over 5% so far this week, its best weekly performance since October 2023. Prices have gained around $173 after slipping to a two-month low last week.

"We understand that the price setback has been used by 'Western world' investors under-allocated to gold to build exposure considering the geopolitical risks that are still around. So we continue to expect gold to rise further over the coming months," Staunovo said.

Bullion tends to shine during geopolitical tensions, economic risks, and a low interest rate environment. Markets are pricing in a 59.4% chance of a 25-basis-points cut at the Fed's December meeting, per the CME Fedwatch tool.

However, "if Fed skips or pauses its rate cut in December, that will be negative for gold prices and we could see some pullback," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Chicago Federal Reserve president reiterated his support for further US interest rate cuts on Thursday.

On Friday, spot silver rose 1.8% to $31.34 per ounce, platinum eased 0.1% to $960.13 and palladium fell 0.6% to $1,023.55. All three metals were on track for a weekly rise.