Companies Listed on 'Tadawul' Make Profits Worth 17B in 9 Months

Reuters
Reuters
TT

Companies Listed on 'Tadawul' Make Profits Worth 17B in 9 Months

Reuters
Reuters

Recent figures issued by the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) reveal that the percentage of ownership of foreign investors increases from week to another in Saudi Arabia.

This indicates that the Kingdom’s stock market has become one of the most attractive for foreign investments.

It also proves the vitality of the financial market on one hand and the confidence of foreign investors in the Saudi economy and listed companies on the other hand.

Meanwhile, foreign ownership in the Saudi stock market has jumped to more than nine percent of the total market.

The stock market index continued Monday the positive gains it had started last week, with about 48 points. On Sunday, it achieved gains of about 77 points.

The Saudi companies listed on the local stock market ended on Monday the announcement period of their financial results for the Q3 2019.

These results are the complementary for the first nine months of this year.

While the net profit achieved during the nine months period amounted to about SAR64.7 billion ($17.2 billion).

According to the announced results, 85 listed companies (more than 50 percent of the listed companies in the local market), have achieved a positive development in their financial results for the first nine months of 2019 compared to the same period last year.

This positive development takes two forms, one is the growth in profits, the largest number of companies, and the other is the marked decline in the amount of losses realized.

Based on these results, which are somehow in line with expectations of financial experts, the Saudi Stock Market Index has become close to 8,000 points, driven by the gains achieved by the market over the past few days.

In this context, the Saudi stock market index ended trading on Monday up 0.6 percent to close at 7922 points, amid transactions worth a total of about SAR2.7 billion ($720 million).



Oil Prices Ease but Remain Near 2-week Highs on Russia, Iran Tensions

FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo
TT

Oil Prices Ease but Remain Near 2-week Highs on Russia, Iran Tensions

FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford//File Photo

Oil prices retreated on Monday following 6% gains last week, but remained near two-week highs as geopolitical tensions grew between Western powers and major oil producers Russia and Iran, raising risks of supply disruption.
Brent crude futures slipped 26 cents, or 0.35%, to $74.91 a barrel by 0440 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $70.97 a barrel, down 27 cents, or 0.38%.
Both contracts last week notched their biggest weekly gains since late September to reach their highest settlement levels since Nov. 7 after Russia fired a hypersonic missile at Ukraine in a warning to the United States and UK following strikes by Kyiv on Russia using US and British weapons.
"Oil prices are starting the new week with some slight cool-off as market participants await more cues from geopolitical developments and the Fed’s policy outlook to set the tone," said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG.
"Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have edged up a notch lately, leading to some pricing for the risks of a wider escalation potentially impacting oil supplies."
As both Ukraine and Russia vie to gain some leverage ahead of any upcoming negotiations under a Trump administration, the tensions may likely persist into the year-end, keeping Brent prices supported around $70-$80, Yeap added.
In addition, Iran reacted to a resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday by ordering measures such as activating various new and advanced centrifuges used in enriching uranium.
"The IAEA censure and Iran’s response heightens the likelihood that Trump will look to enforce sanctions against Iran’s oil exports when he comes into power," Vivek Dhar, a commodities strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note.
Enforced sanctions could sideline about 1 million barrels per day of Iran’s oil exports, about 1% of global oil supply, he said.
The Iranian foreign ministry said on Sunday that it will hold talks about its disputed nuclear program with three European powers on Nov. 29.
"Markets are concerned not only about damage to oil ports and infrastructure, but also the possibility of war contagion and involvement of more countries," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.
Investors were also focused on rising crude oil demand at China and India, the world's top and third-largest importers, respectively.
China's crude imports rebounded in November as lower prices drew stockpiling demand while Indian refiners increased crude throughput by 3% on year to 5.04 million bpd in October, buoyed by fuel exports.
For the week, traders will be eyeing US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) data, due on Wednesday, as that will likely inform the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for Dec. 17-18, Sachdeva said.