Saudi’s Tadawul IPO 442.53% Oversubscribed

Saudi Tadawul is preparing to list on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Tadawul is preparing to list on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi’s Tadawul IPO 442.53% Oversubscribed

Saudi Tadawul is preparing to list on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Tadawul is preparing to list on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Shares of Tadawul group will begin trading on the main market on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The individual subscribers’ tranche of Tadawul’s initial public offering was 442.53% oversubscribed with a total demand of SR5.02 billion ($1.3 billion).

The stock exchange group was offering 10.8 million shares to individual investors, or 30% of the total offer shares at a final price of SR105.

Around 598,327 subscribers participated in the period. The subscription period started on November 30.

The IPO will provide an important strategic dimension to realize Tadawul’s expansion plans, strengthen its position globally, and align its growth objectives with the Public Investment Fund’s strategy to boost the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia.

Tadawul had earlier increased the size of the offering for retail investors to 30%, up from 10% initially, to encourage the participation of individual investors.

Subscribers will each receive a minimum of 10 shares, while those remaining will be allocated on a pro-rata basis.

The shares will be listed on the main index of the Saudi Exchange once all listing formalities are complete. Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and SNB Capital are financial advisers and global coordinators for the IPO.

Tadawul is among the top 10 global stock markets with a market capitalization of about $2.8 trillion.

Tadawul Group has four subsidiaries that include the Saudi Exchange, a dedicated arm running the kingdom’s equity market previously known as the Saudi Stock Exchange Company; the Securities Clearing Centre Company, known as Muqassa; the Securities Depository Centre Company (Edaa); and a new subsidiary focused on applied technology services, known as Wamid.



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.