In July, Arab stock markets experienced a notable surge in trading activity, with the volume of shares traded jumping 28.82% compared to June. This increase brought the total trading volume to 261.86 billion shares, up from 203.27 billion shares the previous month. The Iraq Stock Exchange played a significant role in this uptick, followed closely by Egypt.
Despite the heightened trading activity, the overall value of transactions across these markets declined. The total transaction value fell by 16.82%, dropping to $90.24 billion in July from $108.48 billion in June. This downturn in transaction value was observed in several major markets, including those in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait.
The performance of regional stock markets was mixed during the month. Egypt’s EGX30 index stood out with a gain of 5.85%, marking it as one of the strongest performers. Other exchanges in the region also recorded gains, although the results varied significantly from one market to another.
Meanwhile, the combined market capitalization of Arab stock exchanges showed slight stability, edging up by 0.06% to approximately $4.31 trillion. This stability in market capitalization, coupled with increased trading volume, underscores the dynamic trading activity in the region despite the decline in transaction values.
These figures highlight a complex picture of robust trading activity across Arab stock markets, characterized by increased share volumes and mixed performance among major equity markets, even as transaction values saw a downturn.