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Saudi Aramco Tops $2 Trillion Value in Day 2 of Trading

Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Armco and stock market officials celebrate during the official ceremony marking the debut of Aramco's initial public offering (IPO) on the Riyadh's stock market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Armco and stock market officials celebrate during the official ceremony marking the debut of Aramco's initial public offering (IPO) on the Riyadh's stock market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
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Saudi Aramco Tops $2 Trillion Value in Day 2 of Trading

Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Armco and stock market officials celebrate during the official ceremony marking the debut of Aramco's initial public offering (IPO) on the Riyadh's stock market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Saudi Armco and stock market officials celebrate during the official ceremony marking the debut of Aramco's initial public offering (IPO) on the Riyadh's stock market in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Saudi Aramco achieved the $2 trillion valuation sought by Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday as the newly-listed state-owned oil company's shares rose sharply on their second day of trading.

Shares jumped in trading to reach up to 38.60 Saudi riyals, or $10.29 before noon, three hours before trading closes.

Aramco has sold a 1.5% share to mostly Saudi investors and local Saudi and Gulf-based funds.

With gains made from just two days of trading, Aramco sits comfortably ahead of the world's largest companies, including Apple, the second-largest company in the world valued at $1.19 trillion.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the architect of the effort to list Aramco, touting it as a way to raise capital for the kingdom´s sovereign wealth fund, which would then develop new cities and lucrative projects across the country that create jobs for young Saudis.

He had sought a $2 trillion valuation for Aramco when he first announced in 2015 plans to sell a sliver of the state-owned company.

At a ceremony Wednesday for the start of trading, Aramco Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, described the sale as "a proud and historic moment for Saudi Aramco and our majority shareholder, the kingdom."

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UN Predicts World Economic Growth to Remain at 2.8% in 2025

A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
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UN Predicts World Economic Growth to Remain at 2.8% in 2025

A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

Global economic growth is projected to remain at 2.8% in 2025, unchanged from 2024, held back by the top two economies, the US and China, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday.

The World Economic Situation and Prospects report said that "positive but somewhat slower growth forecasts for China and the United States" will be complemented by modest recoveries in the European Union, Japan, and Britain and robust performance in some large developing economies, notably India and Indonesia.

"Despite continued expansion, the global economy is projected to grow at a slower pace than the 2010–2019 (pre-pandemic) average of 3.2%," according to the report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

"This subdued performance reflects ongoing structural challenges such as weak investment, slow productivity growth, high debt levels, and demographic pressures," Reuters quoted it as saying.

The report said US growth was expected to moderate from 2.8% last year to 1.9% in 2025 as the labor market softens and consumer spending slows.

It said growth in China was estimated at 4.9% for 2024 and projected to be 4.8% this year with public sector investments and a strong export performance partly offset by subdued consumption growth and lingering property sector weakness.
Europe was expected to recover modestly with growth increasing from 0.9% in 2024 to 1.3% in 2025, "supported by easing inflation and resilient labor markets," the report said.

South Asia is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing region, with regional GDP projected to expand by 5.7% in 2025 and 6% in 2026, supported by a strong performance by India and economic recoveries in Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the report said.

India, the largest economy in South Asia, is forecast to grow by 6.6% in 2025 and 6.8% in 2026, driven by robust private consumption and investment.
The report said major central banks are likely to further reduce interest rates in 2025 as inflationary pressures ease. Global inflation is projected to decline from 4% in 2024 to 3.4% in 2025, offering some relief to households and businesses.
It calls for bold multilateral action to tackle interconnected crises, including debt, inequality, and climate change.
"Monetary easing alone will not be sufficient to reinvigorate global growth or address widening disparities," the report added.