JEDDAH – The value of shares traded on the Tadawul stock exchange dropped by 26.07 percent last August to reach only SR102.80 billion ($27.41 billion) against the preceding month's SR139.06 billion, the Saudi bourse said on its website Saturday. The total number of shares traded reached 4.11 billion compared to 6.64 billion shares traded for the previous month, a drop of 38.03 percent. Yesterday (Saturday), the first trading day in September, Saudi Arabia's stocks were dampened with the benchmark Tadawul All Share Index losing 0.07 percent to close at 7,134.24 points. The total number of transactions executed decreased by 31.87 percent to 2.30 million compared to 3.37 million trades in July. However, the benchmark Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) gained 260.82 points (3.79 percent) in August 2012 at 7,139.01 points over the close of the previous month. On an YTD basis, TASI registered a positive increase of 11.24 percent (721.28 points). Highest close level for the index during the month was 7,139.01 on Aug. 29. Total equity market capitalization at the end of August reached SR1,418.72 billion ($378.33 billion), an increase of 3.58 percent over the close of the previous month. Saudi nationals represented 93.50 percent for selling at SR96.12 billion and 90.1 percent for buying what SR 92.59 billion. The percentage share of Saudi companies from the market trades was 1.9 percent for selling at SR1.94 billion and 4.4 percent for buying at SR4.51 billion. Investment funds took 1.3 percent of the market for selling at SR1.30 billion and 2.2 percent for buying at SR2.25 billion. GCC nationals cornered only 0.9 percent of the market for selling at SR925.45 million and 0.8 percent for buying at SR 806.43 million. The share of Arabs residing in Saudi Arabia from the market trades was 1.6 percent for selling at SR1.66 million and 1.6 percent for buying at SR1.64 million. Other foreign residents in Saudi Arabia seized barely 0.2 percent of the market for selling at SR191.94 million and 0.2 percent for buying at SR162.90 million. The market share of foreigners via swap agreements logged 0.7 percent for selling at SR671.74 million and 0.8 percent for buying at SR843.01 million. – SG/QJM
