August, 2017

• 21 August

  REITs shine in Saudi, trading volume shrinks in Qatar

  DUBAI / Reuters Real estate investment trusts were some of the top gainers on Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange on Monday, a day before the listing of a new trust, but bourses in the region were generally sluggish, especially Qatar. All four listed REITs were among the 10 most heavily traded shares in Riyadh, where the main index edged up 0.2 …

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• 21 August

  Yellen, Draghi head to ‘Jackson Hole’ with prices missing goal

  

  Bloomberg As the world’s top central bankers gather in Wyoming this week, their relief about a stronger global economy will be tempered by a growing unease that inflation remains inexplicably low. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will be among the officials addressing this year’s installment of the annual conference hosted by the Kansas …

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• 21 August

  Chinese banks’ leverage falls for first time in 7 years

  

  Bloomberg Chinese banks’ leverage fell for the first time in seven years as the government’s campaign to curb risks in the $40 trillion financial system started to bite. The balances of both interbank assets and liabilities at the end of June declined by 1.8 trillion yuan ($270 billion) from the beginning of the year, the China Banking Regulatory Commission disclosed …

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• 21 August

  Goldman gets approval for Saudi equities trading licence

  

  Reuters Goldman Sachs received approval to trade equities in Saudi Arabia, joining the growing band of western investment banks and fund managers expanding in the kingdom. Western financial institutions have been looking to tap new opportunities in Saudi Arabia since the government unveiled plans for oil giant Saudi Aramco’s $100 billion initial public offering and introduced reforms to attract foreign …

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• 21 August

  Guptas sell S. Africa media unit to ally

  Bloomberg Oakbay Investments, the company controlled by the Gupta family that’s having its last bank accounts closed, agreed to sell its South African media interests to management and an ally of the friends of President Jacob Zuma. Oakbay will get $23 million for Infinity Media, which operates news channel ANN7, and 150 million rand for its two-thirds stake in the …

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• 21 August

  Goldman Sachs seeks stars to revive commodities unit

  

  Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc., seeking a rebound in its commodities business after a bout of losing trades dented earnings, has a plan built around hiring fresh stars and luring new clients. The bank will bring in a few high-profile commodities salesmen as well as some traders, an acknowledgment that the roughly 180-person unit’s performance has suffered in recent years …

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• 20 August

  Middle East eyewear market hits AED10.4bn

  

  Dubai / Emirates Business A recent census of optician stores in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has revealed that the power of shopping malls to attract consumer buying behaviour is growing, with a 22% rise in the number of shopping mall-based opticians since 2014. These locations now account for one third of all optician business in the Emirates. GfK, the …

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• 20 August

  Stocks surge on selective buying spree

  ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE stock markets started the maiden session of the week on a high note following a selective buying spree targeting a series of blue chips which secured some gains over the past few days. Within this context, the DFM General Index went up 0.39 percent to 3615 points, which is an acceptable level according to …

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• 20 August

  Reserves at UAE Central Bank reach AED125.5bn

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM The banking sector increased their statutory reserves at the UAE Central Bank by AED8.6 billion during H1, 2017, bringing to AED125.5 billion the total required reserves by the end of June 2017, according to CB statistics. Statutory reserves are the minimum liquidity banks are required to hold against client deposits without getting interests in return. The …

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• 20 August

  DAE completes AWAS acquisition

  Dubai / WAM Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has completed its previously announced acquisition of the AWAS group of companies in a move that propels DAE into the top tier of global aircraft lessors. DAE will now conduct its aircraft leasing business using the DAE Capital brand name. DAE Capital now features an owned, managed and committed fleet of approximately 400 …

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