Markets
Mideast SWFs look within borders for opportunities
| April 2, 2014
Should sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) invest in domestic markets?
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Markets Archive
Egypt & MENA
EGX optimistic, eyes 8,500 points in 2014
| March 21, 2014
The main Egyptian stock market index could hit 8,500 before the end of the year as economic and political conditions stabilise, according to Pharos Holdings.
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Africa
BRICS high on Africa’s global trade agenda
| March 20, 2014
Emerging markets are eager to diversify away from the developed economies and looking to open up fresh avenues for trade, investment and exchange of product and services.
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Gulf
Gulf markets offer wider scope to pursue growth
| February 25, 2014
Gulf markets may look like they are overheating, but they still lag behind global markets over a five-year period.
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Gulf
GCC counts losses as EM appetite for oil sours
| February 12, 2014
While Gulf markets may have withstood the collapse of other emerging markets, some clouds are brewing on the horizon, and a sustained battering in emerging markets could see
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Gulf
The only way is up for GCC capital markets
| January 17, 2014
Gulf markets had a stellar year in 2013, and valuations suggest the markets have headroom to go even higher in 2014.
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Africa
Africa becomes magnet for private equity funds
| December 30, 2013
Expect more private equity activity in Africa and the Middle East in the New Year, as the economic dynamo continues to attract investors.
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Gulf
GCC sidelined as firms make beeline for London
| November 6, 2013
Gulf markets may be surging, but new listings remain a distant dream for regional stock exchanges.
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Featured Saudi Arabia
Saudi has high concentration of large companies
| October 7, 2013
Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest concentrations of large companies, according to McKinsey & Company.
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Egypt & MENA
Middle East and Africa fight FDI slow-down
| August 26, 2013
The number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into the Middle East and Africa (MEA) declined by 11.78% in 2012 to 1,370 projects, according to industry barometer, fDI
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Egypt & MENA
MENA lending conditions highest since Q2 2011
| August 4, 2013
While lending conditions in other emerging markets such as China, India and South Africa have stumbled over the past few quarters, the Middle East's oil-exporting countries appeared to
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Egypt
Egypt politics keep investors on the sidelines
| July 8, 2013
The Egyptian market soared more than 7% as news of the Muslim Brotherhood government's ouster was announced and investors hoped it would lead to greater market-focused economic decision-making.
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Central Asia
ENRC heaves sigh of relief with USD4.6bn deal
| June 25, 2013
Kazakhstan's Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) shareholders have been made an offer they may not be able to refuse.
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Central Asia
Central Asia bears brunt of emerging markets slowdown
| June 23, 2013
Central Asian countries are expected to register growth of 2.6% this year, their lowest collective growth in four years and well below their average growth of 4.7% over
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Alifarabia.com
Faltering global economy prompts US dollar bull run
| June 10, 2013
The US dollar has been the "cleanest dirty shirt" over the past few years.
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Egypt & MENA
Global economic power shift puts focus on Mideast
| May 26, 2013
Middle East capital stocks will more than double from USD 3.8 trillion in 2010 to USD 8.8 trillion over the next 20 years, according to the latest study
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Featured Saudi Arabia
Foreigner entry to fuel Saudi bourse growth
| May 11, 2013
News that Saudi Arabia would allow foreign investors to participate in the Tadawul market would give fresh impetus to the market and bring a number ofinternational money managers
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Featured Gold
Bearish outlook keeps gold investors at bay
| April 16, 2013
Yellow metal investors have seen red over the past few days, as key market makers turned their backs on gold.
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Markets
Transforming Middle Eastern Corporate Practices
| April 14, 2013
Corporations, like cultures, cannot skip a development stage. Life conditions in the Middle East have remained at tribal levels with egocentric overtones, which have resulted today in the
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Markets
Gulf stocks end Q1 with USD751bn market cap
| April 7, 2013
A 5.2% correction in the Dubai Financial Market in the month of March took the shine off an otherwise stellar quarter for the emirate and the wider Gulf
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Macroeconomic Data
Black swans 2013
| January 27, 2013
A list of possible black swan events (or grey swan events, as some of them are visible on the horizon) that may upset their best-laid plans
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Markets
MR Raghu: Oil price no longer driving Gulf stock market performance
| December 31, 2012
From 2005 to date, crude oil and the S&P; GCC Index have had a correlation of only 12%, a relatively low figure
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Markets
What’s so special about these 25 companies?
| December 27, 2012
They all survived the index (“Nifty”) for a decade or more. Not a small feat by any means!
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Markets
MENA insurance: Stunted growth
| October 13, 2012
The Middle East North Africa regional insurance and takaful market is expected to rise just under 5% this year, despite tough economic conditions across the region.
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Markets
Q3 Preview: Weak Quarter?
| October 2, 2012
Tweet lumaxart / Foter / CC BY-SA Egyptian and Emirati-listed companies are expected to lead strong growth in the third quarter, as both countries recover from their economic
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Markets
GCC Markets’ QE3 Boost
| September 3, 2012
Did the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke give Gulf markets yet another boost by signalling his intention to launch QE3 if needed?
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Markets
Death of Equities?
| September 3, 2012
It is tough to argue about the death of equities in the Middle East just as they have come roaring back to life, but if you plot their
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Markets
MENA Markets: Bull Run?
| August 9, 2012
With regional markets up strongly despite the Ramadan lull, analysts are prepping for a bull-run post-Eid.
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Markets
World’s Best Performing Markets In H1 2012
| July 15, 2012
After a rollicking start to the year, most Middle East markets joined the global economic doom. But Egypt was a standout and was the world's second best performing
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Markets
Are Retail Investors Returing To Gulf Markets?
| July 14, 2012
Rising trading patterns suggest that investors may be returning to the Gulf markets after years of languishing in the wilderness. But much of the growth remains in the
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Featured Saudi Arabia
Is Saudi Tadawul Ready For Foreign Funds?
| July 14, 2012
Can Saudi Arabia's Tadawul market withstand foreign investor scrutiny? More so than most other regional markets, says Al Rajhi Capital.
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Markets
Gulf Insurance Premiums Rise Despite Upheavals
| July 13, 2012
Guess which Middle East country saw the largest growth in insurance premiums last year despite massive economic turmoil facing the country?
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Egypt
Can Gulf stock markets maintain momentum?
| April 24, 2012
With Gulf economies poised for growth on the back of strong macroeconomic policies, regional stock markets are also set for growth.
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Markets
Where To Invest In The Middle East: Bank of America Merrill Lynch
| April 8, 2012
With Gulf economies poised for growth on the back of strong macroeconomic policies, regional stock markets are also set for growth.
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Macroeconomic Data
Middle East Markets Among World’s Best Performing Stock Exchanges
| April 8, 2012
It has been a massive quarter for stock markets around the world. The S&P; 500 - arguably the most influential indicator of global stock market health - had
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Featured Saudi Arabia
Top Ten Middle East Stocks In February
| March 19, 2012
Middle East markets had a phenomenal February. Find out which stocks performed outstandingly well, and which failed to get investors enthused.
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Macroeconomic Data
Global Land Rush
| March 8, 2012
Private equity, sovereign wealth funds and governments of food-importing countries are buying up land to secure food supplies. For good reason: farmland could generate returns of up to
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Featured Qatar
Middle East’s Best Performing Stocks
| March 8, 2012
Middle East markets had a phenomenal February. Find out which stocks performed outstandingly well, and which failed to get investors enthused.
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Featured UAE
Why So Low?: Capital Inflows In Middle East
| March 8, 2012
TweetWhy have regional capital inflows remained well below their 2007 levels, even though emerging markets have since investments surged since then? The IIF says there are four good
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Markets
IMF Issues Global Economic Risk Alert… Again
| January 26, 2012
The year 2012 may not appear to be any better than 2011 as many businesses had hoped. A new update of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) World Economic
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Markets
Worst Performing MENA Stocks in 2011
| January 9, 2012
The Middle East North Africa markets lost more than USD100-billion in 2011, according to Zawya's market analysis tool.
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Markets
Global Economy Outlook 2012: Deutsche Bank’s View
| December 11, 2011
Deutsche Bank is bullish about next year, i.e. if Europe does not capitulate, the United States does not return to its poor growth and Asia does not suffer
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Featured Qatar
MSCI Dec 14 Decision On UAE & Qatar On Knife-Edge
| December 11, 2011
EFG-Hermes believes an MSCI upgrade of UAE and Qatar exchanges to emerging market status is unlikely but not impossible. If the upgrade does happen, both markets could tap
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Markets
BRIC: Growth Engine Or Bloody Ridiculous Investment Concept (BRIC)?
| December 11, 2011
Goldman Sachs takes stock of its 10-year BRIC investment model, adding new countries such as Egypt and Iran in the mix. But Societe Generale ridicules the BRIC acronym,
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Markets
Outlook 2012: Beyond Black Swans
| November 30, 2011
2011 was the year of black swans - those highly improbable occurrences that turn the world economy on its head. So what black swans could be in store
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Featured Qatar
Top Gulf Stock Picks By United Securities
| November 17, 2011
Tweet whsaito /Foter Muscat-based United Securities has turned cautiously optimistic on the recent developments by global markets to contain the debt crises and on the back of better than
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Markets
QuickView: Only 2 GCC-Listed Stocks In Positive Territory In The Year-Markaz
| November 6, 2011
A new report by Markaz, or Kuwait Financial Centre, offers an excellent insight into the dreadful year Gulf-listed stocks have had in the year
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Markets
Can We Count On A Year-End Rally In MidEast Markets?
| November 5, 2011
Poor analysts. Every time they have hinted at green shoots of recovery, an avalanche of bad news has wiped out all hope. So can we believe their
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Markets
Guess Who Topped List Of 20 Global Asset Managers?
| November 1, 2011
Assets managed by the world’s largest 500 fund managers rose by over 4% in 2010 to around US$65
trillion, continuing a trend from 2009 when assets rose 16% on
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Macroeconomic Data
The 147 Most Powerful Companies That Control The World
| October 30, 2011
A Swiss study reveals how a mere 147 global companies rule the world through complex network of ownership, control and indirect influences
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Markets
What’s In Store For MENA Markets?
| October 23, 2011
Can regional markets continue to remain cautiously bullish even as their global counterparts enter bearish territory?
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Markets
International Banks Lose Their Fascination For Gulf
| October 23, 2011
Major international banks from the United States and the European Union are selling off units, restructuring, recapitalising, and shrinking their operations as they comply with stricter regulatory regimes
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Macroeconomic Data
5 Questions About Global Economy Answered & Where’s The Next Bubble: Barclays
| October 16, 2011
The October 2011 edition of Barclays Wealth Compass, entitled “Perspectives on Markets: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” reflects upon the past two decades of market volatility with an eye
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Macroeconomic Data
SPECIAL COMMENT: Is A Recession Priced In?
| October 12, 2011
"As per the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI), the U.S. economy has already entered a new recession and it is going to get a lot worse."
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Egypt
And The 5 Worst Performing Stock Markets In The World Are…
| October 9, 2011
A short list of the world's top 5 worst performing markets
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Markets
Global Recession: What The Analysts Say
| October 9, 2011
TweetWhile the average investor was piling funds into the global markets over the summer, seasoned hands such as George Soros were pulling out and getting into cash as
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Markets
Tribute: ‘The world is immeasurably better because of Steve’
| October 5, 2011
Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.
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Macroeconomic Data
Quick Notes: Bill Gross’ ‘bulge’ and the global financial crisis
| October 5, 2011
Bill Gross in a speedo? PASS. PIMCO’s Bill Gross has released his monthly Investment Outlook for October, devoting a few paragraphs to his physique before comparing the today’s
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Markets
Quick Note: OccupyWallStreet Organizers Cite Arab Spring As Inspiration
| October 4, 2011
TweetThe Arab Spring has inspired people far beyond the region. Describing their tactics, OccupyWallStreet.com, organizers, write on their website: “Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people
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Markets
VIDEO: Arab Spring Style Protests In New York
| October 2, 2011
Tweet Also Read: An Arab Spring In the United States
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Featured Qatar
EFG Positive On Q3 Earnings; Expects Q4 Market Rally; No UAE-Qatar MSCI Upgrade Though
| October 2, 2011
The regional stock markets may be sending negative signals, but the Middle East listed companies are expected to see a 38% rise in earnings in the third compared
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Markets
Forbes U.S. Millionaires: The Year The Rich Got Richer (Except For Warren Buffett)
| September 21, 2011
As unemployment in the United States remained stubbornly over 9 per cent, the rich got richer - except of course for Warren Buffett who lost $6-billion, according to
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Markets
Top 10 Middle East Fund Managers
| September 17, 2011
NCB Capital has more assets under management (AUM) than any other in the region and commands nearly 21% of market share by the first quarter of the year,
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Macroeconomic Data
Gulf Banks Safe As Houses Compared To Vulnerable EU Banks
| September 15, 2011
Robust and timely support from the Gulf central banks have made the region's key financial institutions secure and safe powerhouses
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