By Maged Al-Shabib
Riyadh-Mubasher: Saudi Stock Exchange's (Tadawul) market capitalisation reached nearly SAR 1.579 billion ($421.1 billion) at the end of 2015.
The market capitalisation fell 12.9% compared with a year earlier on economic events and falling oil prices that weighed on all stock markets.
As for stock ownership on the Saudi bourse, the government entities led with SAR 591.8 billion or 37.4% of the total, while retail investors followed with SAR 506.24 billion or 32.06%. This indicates that the market's movement is impacted by retail investors.
Corporate investors (the Saudi companies allowed to trade) ranked third with SAR 276.5 billion or 17.5%. Foreign investors came fourth with SAR 72.1 billion or 4.5%. Qualified investors dominated SAR 1.4 billion from the total ownership of foreign investors, while strategic partners accounted for SAR 51.1 billion.
Retail investors were net sellers of shares worth SAR 8.6 billion in December, while institutional traders recorded a buy/sell difference of SAR 9.5 billion.
Meanwhile, qualified investors were net buyers of shares worth SAR 579.3 million.
Translated by Abdul Maguid Aboshahla
