Healthcare remains hot as Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital gets nod for IPO

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

THIS MORNING: New rules will see the phase-out of non-Saudis as independent delivery drivers

Good morning, wonderful people. It’s a slow news day, a you might expect as we slide into the final days of Ramadan — and with many Western markets off for Easter weekend.

OIL WATCH- Oil giant Aramco has cut its April official selling prices (or “OSP,” in industry-speak) for propane and butane, according to a statement seen by Enterprise. Propane will be selling at USD 615 per ton, down from USD 630 per ton in March. The OSP for butane will be USD 620 per ton for this month, down from USD 640 per ton in March.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- New rules for online delivery services are going into effect across the Kingdom today. The regulations from the Transport General Authority (TGA) require a gradual phaseout by the of self-employment for non-Saudis at online delivery services. Only citizens will be allowed to work as self-employed couriers. Non-Saudi drivers have 14 months to find work with light transport firms and other delivery providers.

#2- The Saudi entrepreneurship scene ranks third in the Global EntrepreneurshipMonitor report (pdf) for 2023-2024, seeing its index score based on 13 performance indicators rise to 6.3 in 2022 and 2023 from 5.0 in 2019. The improvement comes as the Kingdom continues to promote business ownership and startups as part of the ongoing economic diversification drive.

Your next door neighbor might be a founder: One in four adults here were are either setting up a business or running one, coming in first place among economies with a GDP per capita of over USD 50k. The figure is twice that of pre-pandemic levels.

The Kingdom got props for support offered to Saudi women starting businesses, earning the Kingdom a score of 6.4, which sees it rank third on this metric out of the 49 global emerging market economies included in the report.

Word of caution: The report raised two notable flags, saying that on average, four out of every five of these new businesses are focused on consumer services — and saying that “urgent action is required [on support offered to new businesses] if Saudi Arabia is to maintain its new reputation as an excellent place to start a business.”

DATA POINTS-

Remittances by expats in Saudi fell 10.4% m-o-m in February to SAR 9.3 bn, down from SAR 10.4 bn, according to data compiled by Okaz. The m-o-m decline marks the lowest in average remittances figures in nearly five years, it said, without offering analysis or sufficient detail to break down the reasons behind the dip.

PSAs-

WEATHER- Expect another day of cloudy skies in the capital today with showers or light rain possibly continuing through noon. Look for the mercury to peak at a daytime high of 28°C before falling to an overnight low of 19°C. The long-range forecast suggests a chance of light thunderstorms and rain on Wednesday.

Scattered thunderstorms are in the cards for Makkah today, with temperatures in the holy city set to peak at 33°C before falling to 25°C overnight.

Meanwhile Madinah is looking at some cloudy patches, with no chances of rain. The weather will hit a high of 30°C and a low of 21°C.

So, when do we eat? Maghrib prayers are at 6:10pm in the capital city, and you’ll have until 4:26 am tomorrow to hydrate and caffeinate ahead of fajr. Today is day 22 of Ramadan.

SPORTS-

Al Hilal extended its world-record run of consecutive victories in all competitions after holding off on Saturday a late Al Shabab comeback in a 4-3 thriller. The team extended its record to 30 straight victories after sending down Al Shabab, having already set a world record by beating Al Ittihad 2-0 in the AFC Champions League last month.

What’s next? Al Hilal will face relegation-threatened Al Akhdood in the SPL tomorrow (Tuesday, 2 April).

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s an achingly slow morning for news around the world — not surprising given today is a holiday in much of the western world (Easter Monday) and that our part of the world is sliding into the final days of Ramadan.

UP FIRST- Is there still a chance the US might convince Israel to back off an invasion of Rafah? Conditions in the enclave continue to worsen as the US and Israel prepare for what Axios says in an exclusive will be “a virtual meeting on Monday to discuss the Biden administration’s alternative proposals to an Israeli military invasion of Rafah.”

There’s no word on what the “alternative” might be for Gaza, where famine is imminent.

AND- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is on course for his biggest electoral setback in nearly two decades as voters in municipal elections reject his AKP. Opposition mayors look set to cruise to victory in the nation’s five largest cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Antalya. The story is everywhere from the Reuters to the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Looking ahead: Kuwaiti voters go to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament.

SIGN OF THE TIMES- Enter the AI hypebeast: AI is having something of a crypto moment, the head of Google’s AI research division tells the Financial Times. The bns of USD pouring into generative AI startups “brings with it a whole attendant bunch of hype and maybe some grifting and some other things that you see in other hyped-up areas, crypto or whatever. … In a way, AI’s not hyped enough but in some senses it’s too hyped. We’re talking about all sorts of things that are just not real.” Read: Huge AI funding leads to hype and ‘grifting’, warns DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis.

FINALLY- Tesla’s latest challenger? It’s made by smartphone maker Xiaomi:

China’s Xiaomi has succeeded where Apple failed, becoming the first smartphone giant to make an EV. The SU7, introduced over the weekend, is a challenger to Tesla that takes a lot of its styling cues from Porsche — and that starts at USD 4k less than Tesla’s Model 3 with longer, 700-km range for the standard model. Check out the launch announcement here.

It looks like the SU7 will be a hit in China’s hypercompetitive EV market: Customers lined up for test drives until 3am on launch day, Car News China reports, and the 2024 production run sold out in just 24 hours — some 120k units were ordered in the first day and a half it was on sale, one report suggests. Xiaomi is also said to be readying a mid-to-large size electric SUV for introduction later this year.

Want to go deeper? Telescope, the best English-language channel on China’s crazy-wonderful car market, has a solid first look. His take? Very positive, but he’d love it if Xiaomi were to stop imitating Porsche and develop its automotive design language (watch, runtime; 11:12).

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The Gulf Film Festival (GFF) will open from Sunday, 14 April till Thursday, 18 April in Riyadh. Organized by the Film Commission in cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Secretariat, the five-day event will showcase a selection of 29 films from across the region. It will also include three training workshops and six educational seminars focused on fostering artistic dialogue and raising awareness of cinema’s social impact.

The four-day Townhall Expo is slated for Thursday, 2 May, at Holiday Inn Hotel in Riyadh, featuring over 200 projects from Saudi-Egyptian real estate developers and investors who are aiming to wrap up EGP 2 bn in real estate transactions during the expo.

Egyptian real estate exhibition The Icon Show will open its doors on Thursday, 9 May to Saturday, 11 May in Jeddah. The exhibition sees the participation of 12 leading Egyptian real estate developers showcasing potential investments in Ras El Hekma, New Alamein, the New Administrative Capital and others.

The three-day Smart Future Expo will open its doors on Monday, 13 May at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Center. The gathering will include execs, investors, startups, and exhibitors, offering insights into smart tech including AI, AR, digital twin, cybersecurity, cloud computing, blockchain, business intelligence, IoT solutions, big data, and 3D printing.

Project tracking and analysis platform Meed is hosting Saudi Giga Projects 2024 forum on Monday, 13 May, at Crowne Plaza Riyadh, convening contractors, suppliers and top industry execs. The summit will provide an overview of the USD 870 bn mega projects currently under development across the Kingdom including Qiddiya, Roshn, and Neom.

Meed will also be hosting its annual MENA Construction Summit 2024 on Tuesday, 14 May, at the same venue, where industry leaders will have a chance to network and discuss the challenges and potentials of construction tech, climate change resilience and sustainable development in the digital economy.

The two-day Future Projects Forum kick starts on Monday, 20 May, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, where contractors and investors will be able to meet 40 project owners including Aramco, the PIF, Investment Ministry, Asir Municipality, Mawani, Modon, and the Transport General Authority. The forum is expected to feature projects worth SAR 1 tn where contractors and investors can access information about these projects and weigh their bidding success chances.

Cityscape Global is slated for 11-14 November 2024 in Riyadh. Last year the real estate event hosted 160k visitors, 380 speakers, 300 exhibitors and saw transactions worth a combined USD 30 bn close.

^^ Check out our full Calendar on the web for links to all of these conferences.

Saudi’s hot healthcare IPO market shows no sign of cooling as Soliman Fakeeh gets nod to go public

Another day, another potential Tadawul listing: Dr Soliman Abdul Kader Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) has received Capital Market Authority approval to sell a 21.4% stake on Tadawul’s main market, the regulator said in a statement yesterday. The CMA provided no further details other than to offer its standard note that the hospital company’s prospectus would be published “within sufficient time prior to the start of the subscription period.”

About the DSFH: Founded in Jeddah in 1978 by Dr Soliman Fakeeh, DSFH has emerged as a leading private healthcare provider in the Kingdom. It is a regional healthcare player in organ transplants and open-heart surgeries and treats some 500k patients each year.

Healthcare operators have been lining up to IPO: Al Hammadi (2015) and Saudi German Healthcare (2016) led the way, with Dr Sulaiman Al Habib, pharma group Al Nahdi Medical, and drugmakers Jamjoom Pharma and Avalon Pharma all having followed suit. Aster DM Healthcare, meanwhile, is said to be looking to spin off its GCC unit with a dual listing on Tadawul and the Dubai Financial Market.

Background: DSFH operator Fakeeh Care had been mulling a share sale since last year,. sources told Reuters at the time.

REMEMBER- The domestic IPO market is still going strong in 1Q 2024 with regional broadcaster MBC debuting on Tadawul in January in a USD 222 IPO. Modern Mills made its market debut last week. Avalon Pharma also went public on the main market. Al Modawat Specialized Medical Hospital and Pan Gulf Marketing have both made their debuts on Nomu.

Saudi accounts for 33% of all activity as GCC banks sell more debt in 1Q 2024 than they did in all of last year

Saudi banks have sold more USD-denominated debt than their counterparts in the UAE as local lenders look to both offset the high cost of liquidity at home and line up financing to support growth, according to a report by Fitch Ratings.

GCC lenders have issued debt worth a combined USD 20 bn so far this year, with Saudi banks accounting for 33% of activity and UAE banks 26%.

In context: Banks in the GCC issued USD 15.2 bn worth of debt in all of 2023. That makes the first quarter of this year the “strongest quarter ever” for USD debt issuance by regional lenders, backed by strong investor appetite for stories that are backed by high oil prices and credit growth here in the Kingdom.

The look ahead: Fitch expects issuances this year and next year to surpass a record USD 25.2 bn raised in 2020.

What they said: “We expect Saudi banks’ US dollar issuance to continue gathering pace due to the strong credit growth outlook, especially in the corporate segment, and tight liquidity in the banking sector,” Fitch Ratings said.

How much more affordable is international borrowing? Saudi banks are, on average, paying coupon rates of 5.1% on debt raised in the frist quarter of this year “well below the three-month Saudi interbank offered rate of 6.2%,” Fitch notes.

Cenomi Retail sells more brand assets to Abdullah Al Othaim Fashion

Cenomi Retail is selling more franchise rights to Abdullah Al Othaim Fashion as it pushes forward with a rationalization drive to focus on what it calls “champion brands.” The retailer added five brands to a sale agreement it inked back in December for additional consideration of SAR 219 mn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday.

The five brands: Aldo and Aldo Accessories, Charles & Keith, Pedro and La Vie En Rose, which will be transferred to Al Othaim through two newly created companies. The sale also includes the brands’ 121 stores and inventory. Cenomi said Al Othaim will pay additional consideration for on-hand inventory when the stores are transferred.

The usual caveats apply: The transaction is still subject to approval from the General Authority for Competition, among other bodies.

BACKGROUND- Cenomi Retail finalized in February the strategic sale to Al Othaim of its fashion subsidiary Innovative Outfit Trading along with franchise rights for 16 brands. The sale brought in SAR 115 mn in proceeds, in addition to another SAR 4.7 mn from the transfer of inventory.

This has been in the works since last year: The initial SPA was signed in December 2023 entailing the transfer of the franchise rights of 18 brands in a SAR 120 mn transactions, before the owners of two brands rejected the transfer, shaving SAR 5 mn off the value of the original agreement.

It’s part of a repositioning by Cenomi Retail to optimize operations by downsizing its brand portfolio and focusing on the most successful names.

More to come? Cenomi Retail’s BoD has approved a program that will see it sell an additional 24 brands, including its Apple premium reseller Aleph and food brands, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. It did not provide further details, but said the sale would generate revenues of SAR 650 mn.

Cenomi Retail is the largest franchise retailer in the Kingdom and the only listed business of its type in the region. The retailer is currently active in 1.01k stores across 326 malls in nine countries, with 55 brands spanning womenswear, menswear, kids and baby, department stores, shoes and accessories and cosmetics. This is in addition to operating a number of restaurants and coffee shops including Subway and Cinnabon.

IN OTHER RETAIL NEWS-

Thailand’s Central Group wants to snap up more shares in London’s Selfridges with PIF backing: Thai multinational retail conglomerate Central Group is reportedly in talks with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) as it looks to acquire more stakes from Austrian outfit Signa in UK department store Selfridges, Business Insider reports. The Thai investor is reportedly seeking to boost its stake to 60% after buying Selfridges with Signa for EUR 4 bn in 2022.

Where the PIF stands: Signa founder Rene facilitated a separate transaction that saw the PIF securing a 10% stake in a firm that also owns property used by the London high-end department store, according to Bloomberg.

Acwa Power inks SAR 985 mn PPA agreement for Uzbekistan’s 200 MW Nukus 2 wind farm

One step closer to an Uzbek wind farm, courtesy of Acwa Power: Renewables giant Acwa Power signed a SAR 985 mn (c. USD 262.7 mn) power purchase agreement with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan to develop a 200 MW wind farm known as Nukus 2, It will also build a battery energy storage system facility, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. Acwa didn’t provide a timeline for the project.

What we know: Acwa will build the plant under a build, own, operate, and transfer model under a 25-year contract. The project is still in the development stage and its total investment ticket may change when it reaches financial close. Revenues should hit Acwa’s income statement in the first half of 2026.

BACKGROUND- Acwa signed financing agreements worth USD 120 mn in May for the 100 MW Karatau wind farm, formerly referred to as the Nukus wind project. Uzbekistan’s national grid will be the sole buyer of electricity from the farm under a 25-year contract — the first under the country’s public-private partnership law.

Acwa has a considerable foothold in the country: Acwa Power has poured some USD 7.5 bn into renewable energy projects in Uzbekistan to date. The projects are set to produce some 25 GW of renewable energy by 2030, slashing emissions by 3 mn tons. It signed three power purchase agreements totaling USD 2.5 bn last year with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan and the country’s Investment, Industry, and Trade Ministry for 1.4 GW worth of solar projects and three BESS units totalling a capacity of 1.5 GWh. It also signed power purchase and investment agreements last year with NEGU for a 1.5 GW wind energy farm — slated to be Central Asia’s largest. It is also set to develop a green hydrogen plant and a green ammonia pilot project in Uzbekistan, the first of their kind in the Central Asian country.

More to come? Saudi and Uzbekistan signed agreements worth USD 12 bn in November that will see the Kingdom invest in everything from energy, agriculture, chemistry and IT to pharma and infrastructure. The announcement was made as officials broke ground on a pilot green hydrogen production project implemented by Acwa Power in the Tashkent region.

Al Khaleej Training and Education grabs 80% of Adwaa Al Hidaya Private Schools

AlKhaleej Training and Education is getting a controlling stake in Adwaa Al Hidaya Schools: Al Khaleej Training and Education entered a share purchase agreement to acquire 1.6 mn shares — good for a 80% stake — of Adwaa Al Hidaya Private Schools for Boys and Girls through a share swap, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. The transaction, valued at SAR 480 mn, is still subject to regulatory approvals.

Ironing out the details: The transaction sees Al Khaleej acquiring a controlling stake in the schools in exchange for the issuance of new shares in the company to the selling shareholders. This will bring Al Khaleej’s capital to SAR 880 mn through the issuance of 22.9 mn ordinary shares. The ownership of AlKhaleej’s current shareholders is set to decrease from a full 100% ownership to 74% upon the completion of the transaction.

Either party could still walk away from the transaction within nine months or as agreed if conditions aren’t met, according to the disclosure. The acquisition is subject to approvals from AlKhaleej’s shareholders, General Competition Authority (GAC), Capital Market Authority (CMA) and Tadawul.

About the parties: Founded in 1993, Al Khaleej Training and Education provides a diverse range of educational and training solutions to clients. It also operates international schools and kindergartens across the Kingdom. Adwaa Al Hidaya Schools for Boys and Girls were established in 2005 with two educational institutions under its ownership — Adwaa Al Hidaya in and the Regit Grammar School Riyadh (RSGR) in Riyadh. Both schools have a total of 5.1k students.

Earnings season comes to a close

Cenomi Retail recorded a net loss of SAR 1.1 bn in FY 2023 on the back of brand exits and store closures as part of its rationalization strategy, it said in its earnings release (pdf). Its revenues were down 5.3% y-o-y to SAR 5.2 bn.

A look at Q4: Cenomi Retail reported a net loss of SAR 1 bn in the fourth quarter of the year from a net income of SAR 17.5 mn in the same period a year earlier. Its revenues were down 4.6% y-o-y in the same period to SAR 1 bn.

What they said: “Cenomi Retail is in the midst of a significant turnaround strategy. The business continues as originally outlined last year with the objective of strengthening the performance and financial stability of Cenomi Retail. Namely, this includes rationalizing our portfolio to focus on champion brands and profitable stores in the fashion and food and beverage categories; on board new champion brands in our core markets; exit or right size our presence in non-strategic markets; deleverage to improve profitability and continue enhancements on operating processes,” Cenomi Retail’s Acting CEO Salim Fakhouri said.

Pushing for solutions: Cenomi Retail’s Board of Directors has recommended lowering its capital to SAR 100 mn as part of a capital restructuring to “offset accumulated losses,” it said in disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. It hired Alinma Investment as financial advisor for the capital reduction.

MODERN MILLS-

Tadawul-listed Modern Mills’ net income fell 13.4% y-o-y to SAR 201.8 mn in 2023, while revenues were down 4% y-o-y to SAR 938.6 mn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The milling company attributed the drop in net income during the year to IPO costs of SAR 7.2 mn, higher finance and zakat costs and lower returns from its animal bran segment. Its BoD has recommended a dividend payout of SAR 81.8 mn at SAR 1 apiece for 2023, it said in a separate disclosure.

ICYMI- Modern Mills made its debut on the main market last week after it sold a 30% stake in the IPO, which saw 20 percentage points allocated to institutional investors and the remaining 10 points to retail investors.

SAUDI GERMAN HEALTH-

Tadawul-listed Saudi German Health’ net income soared 2.4x y-o-y to SAR 180.2 mn in 2023, while revenues grew 23.3% y-o-y to SAR 2.7 bn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The healthcare provider attributed the increase in net income to higher revenues on the back of increased capacity and number of inpatients and improved efficiency from new facilities.

ABDULLAH AL OTHAIM MARKETS-

Tadawul-listed Abdullah Al Othaim Markets’ net income fell 54.5% y-o-y to SAR 491 mn in 2023, while revenues grew c. 6.9% y-o-y to SAR 10.2 bn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

MAHARAH-

Tadawul-listed Maharah Human Resources’ net income fell 14.8% y-o-y to SAR 96.3 mn in 2023, while revenues were up 12.3% y-o-y to SAR 1.9 bn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Its BoD has approved a dividend payout of SAR 33.8 mn at SAR 0.075 apiece for the second half of 2023, it said in a separate disclosure.

ALMODAWAT-

Nomu-listed Al Modawat Specialized Medical’s net income almost doubled to SAR 18.6 mn in 2023, while revenues were up 26.9% to SAR 74.3 mn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

ICYMI— Al Modawat debuted on the parallel market Nomu in February after it sold a 20% stake to qualified investors, offloading 475k shares as SAR 111 apiece.

AL-BABTAIN-

Tadawul-listed Al Babtain Power andTelecommunication’s net income jumped 2.7x y-o-y to SAR 141.5 mn, while its revenues were up 14.6% to SAR 2.5 bn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Its BoD has recommended a dividend payout of SAR 64 mn at SAR 1 apiece for 2023, according to a separate disclosure.

LADUN INVESTMENT-

Nomu-listed Ladun Investment’s net income grew 81.7% y-o-y to reach SAR 109.3 mn in 2023, while its revenues grew 63% to SAR 1.4 bn, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The real estate developer attributed the growth in net income to high profit margins for new and ongoing real estate projects.

TABUK AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CO

Tadawul-listed Tabuk Agricultural Development Co (Tadco) turned to profitability to report a net income of SAR 81 mn in FY 2023, reversing losses of SAR 53.7 mn a year earlier, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Its revenues were down 21.5% y-o-y to SAR 105.5 mn. The realized net income came on the back of a rise in its share of income from equity investments in companies and a lower credit losses provision.

Roshn launches its first multi-use community complex in Makkah. Plus: real estate, transport and advertising

REAL ESTATE-

#1- PIF-owned Roshn is developing Makkah’s first multi-use communit complex in Makkah, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. The first phase of the project, which spans 2.5 mn sqm, will offer 4.15k residential units including villas, townhouses and apartments. It will include a full fledged business complex, a regional business hub and eight malls. Green spaces will cover 12% of the project’s total area of the project, with valleys cutting through the Al Manar neighborhoods to create flexible green infrastructure. Al Manar is Roshn’s fifth mixed-use development across the Kingdom.

#2- Tadawul-listed Al Khaleej Training & Education has leased out a SAR 380 mn educational and residential complex in Riyadh to Multinational Educationa, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The contract is valid for 19 years and eight months.

TRANSPORT

Mubarrad to deliver Nadec’s products locally and regionally: Riyadh-based Saudi Transport and Investment Company (Mubarrad) — a subsidiary of Batic Investment and Logistics Company — has signed a SAR 32.2 mn three-year contract with dairy firm National Agricultural Development Company (Nadec) to transport its range of refrigerated, non-refrigerated, and dry products across domestic and regional markets, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Under the contract, Mubarrad will use its trucks and trailers to transport Nadec’s products across the GCC and other Arab markets.

INS.

UCA extends ins. coverage to Saudi BinLadin Group: United Cooperative Assurance (UCA) has renewed its engineering ins. agreement with construction giant Saudi BinLadin Group for an additional one year and nine months, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The extension will see UCA continue to provide contractors’ all risk ins. coverage to Saudi BinLadin for its expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The contract was originally signed in September before it was renewed in January earlier this year for a period of three months, according to the UCA.

ADVERTISING-

Arabian Contracting Services (AlArabia) has secured billboard rights at Makkah’s mega project Masar after signing an advertising concession agreement with project developer Umm Al Qura Development and Construction, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Under the agreement, the outdoor advertising services provider will install and operate billboards at Masar for 15 years. The agreement will be based on revenue sharing or the annual minimum guarantee, it said.

About the project: Masar is an urban development project spanning 1.2 mn sqm with a central pedestrian boulevard leading to the city’s Grand Mosque. It aims to boost connectivity to the mosque and serve visiting pilgrims and local residents.

US corporate borrowers are fast tracking their financing plans ahead of anticipated election volatility

US companies rush to secure financing ahead of elections: Companies in the US have issued USD 606 bn worth of corporate bonds since the start of the year — the highest total since 1990, as companies look to meet their financing needs ahead of any market volatility that could come about during the final stretch of the US election, the Financial Times reports. The possibility of a close election has caused companies to accelerate their financing plans to avoid the risk of running into pricier markets later this year, the salmon-colored paper wrote.

“I think what most companies are thinking — particularly frequent issuers — is — ‘let’s get the majority of our funding done in the first half of 2024’,” Morgan Stanley’s David Hodgson told FT. “[Then] if we go through the election, and the market response is positive for whatever reason, we’ll use the back end of the year to get a head start on 2025,” he added.

Meanwhile, investors continue to pour into corporate bonds: The US corporate bonds market has seen a record inflows since the start of the year, as investors look to cash in on high yields ahead of anticipated rate cuts. Inflows into corporate bond funds have recorded almost USD 23 bn so far this year.

THE MARKET THIS MORNING-

Benchmarks in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul are in the green this morning, while Japan’s Nikkei is down 1.2% at dispatch time. Stock markets are closed across France, Germany and Italy and the London Stock Exchange is also closed today. Trading floors at the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will reopen after a three-day weekend. US stock futures were up slightly overnight, with futures for the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all up a bit more than 0.3%.

US markets start 2Q after a strong start to the year: The S&P was up 10.2% in the first quarter, while the Nasdaq Composite added 9.1% and the Dow 5.6%.

TASI	12,402	-1.3% (YTD: +3.6%)
MSCI Tadawul 30	1,581	-1.1% (YTD: +2%)
NomuC	26,030	-2.2% (YTD: +6.1%)
USD : SAR (SAMA)	3.75 Sell	3.75 Buy
Interest rates	6.5% repo	5.5% reverse repo
EGX30	26,883	-2.5% (YTD: +8%)
ADX	9,228	-0.4% (YTD: -3.7%)
DFM	4,246	+0.3% (YTD: +4.6%)
S&P 500	5,254	+0.1% (YTD: +10.2%)
FTSE 100	7,953	+0.3% (YTD: +8.1%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,083	+0.03% (YTD: +12.4%)
Brent crude	USD 87.00	+1.86%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 1.76	+2.62%
Gold	USD 2,238	+1.6%
BTC	USD 70,405	+0.6% (YTD: +147%)

THE CLOSING BELL: TADAWUL-

The TASI fell 1.3% yesterday on turnover of SAR 5.9 bn. The index is up 3.6% YTD.

In the green: Red Sea Intl (+9.9%), Tasnee (+5.1%) and Alinma Retail REIT (+5%).

In the red: Zamil Industrial (-10%), Saudi Research and Media Group (-10%) and Saudi German Health (-10%).

THE CLOSING BELL: NOMU-

The NomuC fell 2.2% yesterday on turnover of SAR 81.3 mn. The index is up 6.1% YTD.

In the green: Riyadh Steel (+19.1%), Al Mohafza (+9.4%) and Munawla (+9%).

In the red: Amwaj (-13.9%), Ladun (-9.6%) and Atlas Elevators (-6%)

CORPORATE ACTIONS-

#1- Saudi Cable has submitted its financial restructuring proposal to Jeddah’s Commercial Court, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The proposal’s submission and related paperwork caused a delay in the company disclosing financial results for FY 2023, it said in a separate disclosure. It said results will be published no later than 21 April.

#2- Tadawul-listed IT services and consulting firm Perfect Presentation for CommercialServices Co (P2P)’s BoD has recommended doubling its capital to SAR 300 mn via a bonus shares issuance, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

#3- Alkhabeer REIT wrapped up the sale of its B&Q property — formerly known as Homeworks Center — at a selling price of SAR 87.6 mn, its fund manager Alkhabeer Capital said in a disclosure (pdf) to Tadawul. Proceeds from the sale will be used to pay off a part of outstanding debt, fund the acquisition of other real estate assets, and develop other properties. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.

#4- Aramco’s base oil subsidiary Luberef’s shareholders have approved a dividend payout of SAR 841.3 mn at SAR 5 apiece for the second half of the year, it said in a statement (pdf). The dividend distribution is set for Thursday 18 April.

#5- Tadawul-listed Tabuk Cement Company’s BoD has recommended a dividend payout of SAR 22.5 mn at SAR 0.25 per share for 2023, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

#6- Tadawul-listed L’azurde for Jewelry’s BoD has recommended a dividend payout of SAR 17.3 mn at SAR 0.3 a share for 2023, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

FM discusses boosting ties with Ethiopia

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan mulled bolstering cooperation with Ethiopia during a meeting with Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. They also discussed regional and international developments. The Ethiopian official delivered a letter from Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also discussing avenues for cooperation.

ALSO- The foreign minister discussed Gaza ceasefire efforts with newly-appointed Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, state news agency SPA reported. A new Palestinian Cabinet was sworn in yesterday, setting an end to the war as a “top national priority” for the government.

CALENDAR

APRIL

8-11 April (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Super Cup, Abu Dhabi.

10 April (Wednesday): Eid al-Fitr

14-21 April (Sunday-Monday): IMF and World Bank spring meetings, Washington, DC

16 April (Tuesday): FEI World Cup Equestrian, Riyadh.

28-29 April (Sunday-Monday): World Economic Forum Special Meeting, Riyadh.

29 April-1 May: Future Hospitality Summit at Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.

MAY

2-5 May (Thursday-Sunday): Townhall Expo, Riyadh.

6-9 May (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Smart Manufacturing, Riyadh.

6-9 May (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Smart Logistics, Riyadh.

13-15 May (Monday-Wednesday): Smart Future Expo, Riyadh.

13 May (Monday): Saudi Giga Projects, Riyadh.

19-21 May (Sunday-Tuesday): Saudi Energy Convention, Riyadh.

20-21 May (Monday-Tuesday): Future Projects Forum, Four Seasons Hotel, Riyadh.

21-23 May (Tuesday-Thursday): The Saudi Food Show, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in May:

Global Trade Review (GTR): KSA
Saudi Energy Convention

JUNE

4-7 June (Tuesday-Friday): Saudi Sports Show, Riyadh.

4-7 June (Tuesday-Friday): Aqarat Expo, Riyadh.

5 June (Wednesday): World Environment Day.

Signposted to happen sometime in June:

Eid Al-Adha (national holiday)

AUGUST

12-15 August (Monday-Thursday): The Saudi Food Expo, Riyadh

SEPTEMBER

11-12 September (Wednesday-Thursday): The Saudi Event Show, Riyadh.

17-19 September (Tuesday-Thursday): EV Auto Show, Riyadh.

24-26 September (Tuesday-Thursday) Saudi Infrastructure Expo, Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, Riyadh.

23 September (Monday): National Day (national holiday)

NOVEMBER

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Saudi Electricity Expo, Riyadh.

11-14 November (Monday-Thursday): Cityscape Global, Riyadh.

DECEMBER

2-13 December (Monday-Friday): Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2024:

The AFC Champions League Elite

2025

FEBRUARY

10-13 February (Monday-Thursday): Leap 2025, the Kingdom’s premier tech investment conference

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