Firms’ Outcomes Influence Saudi Stocks Trading

 An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
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Firms’ Outcomes Influence Saudi Stocks Trading

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

Saudi Stock Exchange index closed last week at a level below 8,000 by 79 points, amid expectations that fiscal firms outcomes for Q3 would play an influential role in the performance of the index in the coming five weeks.

Saudi firms started revealing Q3 results last Tuesday, in a duration that lasts till Nov. 11.

This coincides with a time when foreign investment purchases reached a value of SAR18.3 billion (USD4.89 billion) last month – this value represents 28.3 percent of total purchases.

This way, foreign investment ownership jumped to 8.6 percent.

Further, Saudi Stock Exchange index closed the weekly trading with a relapse of 1.3 percent, i.e. 107 points. It ended at levels of 7,921 points, a drop that is attributed by specialists to the drop in oil prices last week.

Monetary liquidity marked a remarkable rise during last week, reaching around SAR14.9 billion (USD3.9 billion) compared to SAR9.8 billion (USD2.6 billion) in the past week. This registered a rise of 51.5 percent.

In this context, financial analyst Khaled Yahya expected that the Saudi firms would make sufficient profit for many traders and investors. He added that the profits might be close to the achieved results in Q2 of this year.

Yahya continued that the current indicators of the Saudi economy are encouraging and the private sector is a key pillar by which listed companies are an important part of it.



Moody's Upgrades Saudi Arabia's Credit Rating

Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
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Moody's Upgrades Saudi Arabia's Credit Rating

Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters

The credit rating agency “Moody’s Ratings” upgraded Saudi Arabia’s credit rating to “Aa3” in local and foreign currency, with a “stable” outlook.
The agency indicated in its report that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification and the robust growth of its non-oil sector. Over time, the advancements are expected to reduce Saudi Arabia’s exposure to oil market developments and long-term carbon transition on its economy and public finances.
The agency commended the Kingdom's financial planning within the fiscal space, emphasizing its commitment to prioritizing expenditure and enhancing the spending efficiency. Additionally, the government’s ongoing efforts to utilize available fiscal resources to diversify the economic base through transformative spending were highlighted as instrumental in supporting the sustainable development of the Kingdom's non-oil economy and maintaining a strong fiscal position.
In its report, the agency noted that the planning and commitment underpin its projection of a relatively stable fiscal deficit, which could range between 2%-3% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Moody's expected that the non-oil private-sector GDP of Saudi Arabia will expand by 4-5% in the coming years, positioning it among the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, an indication of continued progress in the diversification efforts reducing the Kingdom’s exposure to oil market developments.
In recent years, the Kingdom achieved multiple credit rating upgrades from global rating agencies. These advancements reflect the Kingdom's ongoing efforts toward economic transformation, supported by structural reforms and the adoption of fiscal policies that promote financial sustainability, enhance financial planning efficiency, and reinforce the Kingdom's strong and resilient fiscal position.