Arab stock markets saw a notable surge in trading activity in July, as the volume of shares traded jumped by 28.82% compared to June. This increase took the total trading volume to 261.86 billion shares, up from 203.27 billion shares in the previous month. The Iraq Stock Exchange played a significant role in this uptick, with Egypt also contributing to the heightened trading volume.
Despite the rise in trading activity, the overall value of transactions across the region’s stock markets decreased by 16.82%. The value fell to $90.24 billion in July, down from $108.48 billion in June, marking declines in several key markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait. This indicates that while more shares were traded, their total monetary value diminished during the month.
The performance of regional stock exchanges was varied, with Egypt’s EGX30 index emerging as one of the top performers by gaining 5.85% in July. Other exchanges in the region also saw gains, reflecting a mixed but overall positive trend in market performance despite the drop in transaction values.
In terms of market capitalization, the combined value of Arab stock exchanges remained largely stable, showing a slight increase of 0.06% to reach approximately $4.31 trillion. This stability in market capitalization underscores the robust trading activity that occurred even amid the fluctuations in transaction values.
The figures from July highlight a period of increased trading activity across Arab stock markets, driven by significant contributions from Iraq and Egypt. However, the decrease in transaction values and varied performance among major markets present a complex picture of the region’s financial landscape during the month.