Saudi Financial Market Adjustments to Ease IPOs

Saudi Financial Market Adjustments to Ease IPOs
TT

Saudi Financial Market Adjustments to Ease IPOs

Saudi Financial Market Adjustments to Ease IPOs

The Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) disclosed to Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that the draft of the pending Central Counterparty Clearing House ("CCP") for clearing of securities in the Saudi capital market will be issued soon.

The CCP will be responsible for developing future clearing in accordance with the best international risk management practices and standards.

The CMA, Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) and Tadawul have already initiated the required regulatory regime to activate the CCP function, in order to enable it to fully operate by the second half of 2019.

CMA Chairman Mohammed El Kuwaiz said the draft will be listed within weeks, noting that it is in keep with market adjustments ordered by the cabinet recently.

“In the coming weeks, we are going to implement major modernization, especially for securities regulations, which will facilitate this process, both for companies in the main market and for companies in the parallel market,” Kuwaiz told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Bader Bin Mohammed Balghonaim, CMA’s Deputy of Legal Affairs and Enforcement, for his part, reaffirmed that the amendments introduced to the financial market are considered a regulatory leap in terms of legislation.

Balghonaim confirmed that change was introduced after benefiting from international experience and the public opinion of the specialists and workers in the financial sector.



Gold Edges Up on Softer Dollar; Focus on US Inflation Data

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

Gold Edges Up on Softer Dollar; Focus on US Inflation Data

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

Gold prices inched up on Wednesday as the US dollar eased, while investors' focus shifted to key inflation data from the world's biggest economy for cues on the likely scale of a Federal Reserve rate cut next month.
Spot gold rose 0.3% to $2,639.30 per ounce, as of 0523 GMT. Bullion hit an over one-week low on Tuesday.
US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,639.40.
The dollar index was down 0.1%, boosting gold's appeal for holders of other currencies. The greenback fell to a near one-week low on Tuesday.
"Gold has been fluctuating alongside dollar volatility. However, in the Asian session, the price movement has been marginal," said Kyle Rodda, financial market analyst at Capital.com.
"In the long run, I think Trump's trade war may be positive for gold because of higher debt loads and a touch of dedollarization," Rodda said.
Investors digested a handful of economic data on Tuesday indicating the economy remained on solid footing.
Traders will now closely monitor core PCE figures, initial jobless claims and GDP (first revision), set for release later in the day.
Markets currently see a 63% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Fed in December, as per the CME group's FedWatch tool.
Trump's appointments and policies that pressure the Fed, increase deficits, escalate tariffs, or raise concerns about US financial sustainability could collectively support gold prices, said Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs.
Elsewhere, China's net gold imports via Hong Kong in October fell from September and were down 43% from the previous year, data showed.
On the geopolitical front, US-France brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect at 0200 GMT on Wednesday.
Spot silver edged 0.2% higher to $30.47 per ounce, platinum fell 0.1% to $926.74 and palladium added 0.3% to $980.55