The net holdings of Jordanian stocks by foreign investors increased by 88 per cent in the first half of the year, according to statistics released Monday by the Amman Stock Exchange, according to dpa. The ASE statistics put net foreign investments in Jordanian stocks since the beginning of the year until June 30 at 280.3 million dinars (396 million dollars), compared with 149 million dinars in the same period of 2006. Transactions conducted by non-Jordanians accounted for 21 per cent of the market's turnover, while dealings by Arab investors represented 87 per cent of the ASE foreign transactions in the first half of the year. The net holdings are the difference between the value of stocks bought and those sold during the same period. Analysts attach special importance to Arab funds, particularly surplus petrodollars, which they described as one of the market's key moving factors.
