Saudi CMA Approves ACWA Power IPO

ACWA Power (Asharq Al-Awsat)
ACWA Power (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi CMA Approves ACWA Power IPO

ACWA Power (Asharq Al-Awsat)
ACWA Power (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) approved the request of the International Company for Water and Power Projects (ACWA POWER) application for public offering of 81.2 million shares, representing 11.1 percent of its share capital.

The Company’s prospectus will be published within sufficient time prior to the start of the subscription period.

The investment value of the company's portfolio exceeds $66.1 billion, producing 42 gigawatts (GW) of electricity and 6.4 million cubic meters of desalinated water per day, provided as a huge production that meets the needs of state utilities, and according to long purchase contracts.

ACWA Power, through its projects, aims to produce reliable electricity and desalinated water at low cost, while contributing effectively to the sustainable social and economic development of societies and countries.

The company successfully raised $746 million, through a senior, unsecured floating Sukuk rate issuance with a seven-year tenor, under the Shariah-compliant Mudaraba-Murabaha structure.

The issuance marked the company’s maiden entry into Saudi debt capital markets and saw significant interest from fund managers, government funds, and insurance companies accounting for approximately 30 percent of the issuance and resulting in an oversubscription of 1.8 times over the issue size.

ACWA Power was established in 2004 in Saudi Arabia and is 50 percent owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). PIF increased in November its stake in ACWA Power from 33.6 percent as part of a move to support the renewable energy sector in Saudi Arabia.

It is a developer, investor, and operator of a group of power generation and water desalination plants, and its portfolio currently includes 64 plants that are in operation, construction, or in advanced stages of development.



Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic concerns.

Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $76.13 a barrel by 1003 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 10 cents to $73.22.

Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday as a stronger dollar and a bigger than expected rise in US fuel stockpiles pressured prices.

"The oil market is still grappling with opposite forces - seasonal demand to support the bulls and macro data that supports a stronger US dollar in the medium term ... that can put a ceiling to prevent the bulls from advancing further," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil demand for January to expand by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year to 101.4 million bpd, primarily driven by increased use of heating fuels in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Global oil demand is expected to remain strong throughout January, fuelled by colder than normal winter conditions that are boosting heating fuel consumption, as well as an earlier onset of travel activities in China for the Lunar New Year holidays," the analysts said.

The market structure in Brent futures is also indicating that traders are becoming more concerned about supply tightening at the same time demand is increasing.

The premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August on Wednesday. A widening of this backwardation, when futures for prompt delivery are higher than for later delivery, typically indicates that supply is declining or demand is increasing.

Nevertheless, official Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed rising gasoline and distillates stockpiles in the United States last week.

The dollar strengthened further on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's entrance into the White House on Jan. 20.

Looking ahead, WTI crude oil is expected to oscillate within a range of $67.55 to $77.95 into February as the market awaits more clarity on Trump's administration policies and fresh fiscal stimulus measures out of China, OANDA's Wong said.