Saudi Stock Value Jumps 20.8%

A Saudi investor monitors Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange. (Getty Images)
A Saudi investor monitors Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange. (Getty Images)
TT

Saudi Stock Value Jumps 20.8%

A Saudi investor monitors Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange. (Getty Images)
A Saudi investor monitors Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange. (Getty Images)

The total value of Saudi stock traded in the market during August jumped by 20.8 percent compared to the previous month, at a time when the total purchases by foreign investors exceeded the purchases made by Saudi and Gulf investors.

The positive growth comes as the Saudi market completed the second and final phase of joining the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

The Saudi stock market index closed Monday up 58 points, recording a “green” positive closure. It ended trading on a 0.7 percent increase, to close at 7971 points, amid transactions worth $853.3 million.

The total value of shares traded for August amounted to $21 billion, while total stock market capitalization reached $506.6 billion at the end of this period, decreasing by 7.53 percent from the previous month.

The total value of shares purchased by Saudi investors during this period amounted to $9.5 billion representing 45.58 percent of total buying activity, and sales of $13 billion, representing 61.91 percent of total selling activity.

Total ownership of Saudi investors stood at 89.77 percent of total market capitalization by the end of August, representing a drop of 0.44 percent from July.

As for the GCC investors, the total value of shares purchased during this period amounted to $173.3 million, representing 0.82 percent of total buying activity, and sales of $493.3 million, representing 2.35 percent of total selling activity.

Total ownership of GCC investors stood at 1.90 percent of total market capitalization by the end of August, representing a decrease of 0.04 percent from the previous month.

During the same period, the value of foreign investors shares amounted to $11.2 billion, representing 53.60 percent of total buying activity, and sales of $7.5 billion, representing 35.73 percent of total selling activity.

Total ownership of foreign investors stood at 8.33 percent of total market capitalization late August, representing an increase of 0.47 percent from July.

These developments come at a time when the asset value of public and private investment funds in the Kingdom jumped during Q2 of this year, reaching levels of $86.1 billion, compared to $82.6 billion in Q1.



Central Bank Chief: Morocco Preparing Law to Allow Cryptocurrencies

Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
TT

Central Bank Chief: Morocco Preparing Law to Allow Cryptocurrencies

Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

A draft law on cryptocurrencies is undergoing the process of adoption in Morocco, the governor of its central bank, Abdellatif Jouahri, said on Tuesday.

The central bank, known as Bank Al Maghrib, "has prepared a draft law regulating crypto assets, which is currently in the adoption process," Jouahri told an international conference in Rabat.

Bank Al Maghrib was also exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC), Reuters quoted him as saying.
"Regarding central bank digital currencies, and like many countries around the world, we are exploring to what extent this new form of currency could contribute to achieving certain public policy objectives, particularly in terms of financial inclusion," he said.