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Khaleej Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE bourses outperform GCC peers in H1 net foreign inflows
Foreign investors ramped up their participation in Gulf stock markets in the second quarter of 2025, with the UAE emerging as one of the most attractive destinations. According to Kamco Invest, net foreign inflows into UAE bourses reached $1.33 billion in Abu Dhabi and $462 million in Dubai, reinforcing investor confidence in the country's resilient macroeconomic fundamentals and regulatory environment. Across the GCC, foreign investors were net buyers for the sixth consecutive quarter, recording net purchases worth $4.2 billion in Q2-2025, up from $2.8 billion in Q1-2025. Cumulatively, in the first half of 2025, net foreign buying in GCC markets stood at $7.0 billion — an impressive 39.8 per cent increase year-on-year from $5.0 billion in H1-2024. The UAE outperformed the region in terms of foreign inflows during the first six months, attracting a total of $4.5 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia ($1.6 billion) and Kuwait ($1.4 billion). The consistent inflow of foreign capital into UAE markets reflects the country's deepening capital market sophistication, IPO momentum, and economic diversification strategies — particularly in the non-oil sectors. Abu Dhabi, in particular, remained a magnet for cross-border capital, driven by strategic listings, economic stability, and expanding regional influence through sovereign funds. The emirate also recorded the highest net buying by GCC investors at $48.4 million in Q2, followed by Dubai at $23 million, underlining intra-regional investor interest. In contrast, Oman and Bahrain saw persistent outflows. Oman recorded net foreign sales of $29.6 million in Q2-2025 after a sharper outflow of $459.2 million in the previous quarter. Bahrain also posted net foreign selling of $27.9 million. Collectively, foreign investors remained net sellers in Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain in the first half of 2025, to the tune of $580.7 million — partially offsetting broader regional buying. The buoyancy in UAE equity markets comes despite mixed global signals, including uncertainty around US trade policy. Investors are closely watching the impact of new tariffs announced by the U.S. government, including a 30 per cent duty on imports from Mexico and the European Union and a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, all taking effect on August 1, 2025. Yet, despite such external pressures, five of the seven GCC exchanges posted gains in Q2-2025, underscoring selective investor optimism. The UAE's performance was further bolstered by robust trading volumes. Dubai's volume surged by 21 per cent to 16.3 billion shares in Q2 from 13.4 billion in Q1. Abu Dhabi also saw value traded rise to $22.5 billion in Q2, up from $20.3 billion in Q1, increasing its share of total GCC market activity to 14.9 per cent. Overall trading volume across GCC exchanges climbed 9.1 per cent year-on-year to 94.73 billion shares in Q2-2025, with Qatar leading the way with a 39.4 per cent quarterly increase. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, however, saw declines of 5 per cent and 61.5 per cent, respectively. Despite this, Saudi Arabia remained dominant in terms of individual stock activity. Six Saudi-listed companies were among the top 10 most traded stocks in the GCC, led by Al-Rajhi Bank ($5.8 billion), Saudi Aramco ($5.1 billion), and International Holdings Co. ($4.0 billion). Other notable names included Adnoc Gas, Emaar Properties, and Kuwait Finance House. Foreign investor interest in the Saudi market remains high, though Q2 saw a moderation in inflows. Foreign purchases totalled 7.3 billion Saudi riyals in H1-2025, down 37 per cent from 11.5 billion riyals in the same period last year. Local institutional investors in Saudi Arabia were net sellers in Q2, offloading 13.3 billion riyals worth of shares, offset somewhat by retail investors who were net buyers of 8.2 billion riyals. GCC investors (excluding Bahrain) recorded net sell trades worth $50.5 million in Q2-2025, a significant drop from $482.3 million in Q1. Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman reported net sales, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia saw marginal net buys by GCC investors. Total value traded across GCC markets declined slightly to $151.8 billion in Q2-2025 from $157.5 billion in Q1. Despite the overall dip, market depth and foreign participation — particularly in the UAE — remained strong, bolstered by continued IPO activity, investor-friendly reforms, and sectoral diversification.
Japan Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Foreign buying of Japanese stocks marks 12-week streak, TSE data shows
Foreign investors were net buyers of Japanese stocks for the 12th consecutive week, according to data released Thursday from Tokyo Stock Exchange operator the Japan Exchange Group. But their net buying fell to the lowest in the past 12 weeks while separate data, released earlier in the day from the Finance Ministry, showed foreign investors became net sellers for the first time since March, suggesting their appetite may be waning. The Finance Ministry's data is based on reporting from major market players and covers not just stocks but also exchange traded funds and over-the-counter trades. According to the exchange data, foreign investors bought ¥88.4 billion ($614 million) of Japanese equities in the week that ended on June 20. The continued buying has echoes of the April-June quarter in 2023, when Warren Buffett's investment in trading houses and hopes of corporate governance reforms impelled foreign investors to pile into Japanese stocks. The size of their buying was smaller this time. During the second quarter of 2023, foreign investors bought ¥6.1 trillion, dwarfing the net total buying since April of ¥4.1 trillion. The latest inflows may have been driven by global investors who are rotating out of U.S. stocks that have become expensive, experts say. "It's not like Japanese earnings were strong or investors were getting (more) positive about Japan,' said Hiroshi Matsumoto, senior client portfolio manager at Pictet Asset Management Japan. "The market has risen even as the earnings aren't that strong. So the market's valuation has become a bit rich,' he said. Data from the Finance Ministry shows foreign investors sold a net ¥524.3 billion of shares in the period that ended on June 20.
Bloomberg
26-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Taiwan's Central Bank Wards Off FX Speculators Piling Into ETFs
Taiwan told foreign investors to exit bets on the local dollar, taken through exchange-traded funds, as a 12% gain in its currency threatens its economy and companies. The strategy involves investors buying the island's ETFs and inverse ETFs, allowing them to accumulate holdings of Taiwan dollars while maintaining a neutral position in the stock market. Foreign funds have been 'repeatedly' deploying this playbook to speculate on the currency, according to Deputy Central Bank Governor Yen Tsung-ta.
Japan Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Foreign investors sold Japan stocks for first time in 12 weeks
Foreign investors were net sellers of Japanese stocks last week for the first time since March, according to data from the Finance Ministry. They sold a net ¥524.3 billion ($3.62 billion) of the shares in the period ended June 20, the data showed Thursday. In the 11 weeks prior to that, the investors bought ¥7.236 trillion of Japanese stocks in total despite concerns about U.S. tariffs. "The market has risen even as the earnings aren't that strong. So the market's valuation has become a bit rich,' said Hiroshi Matsumoto, senior client portfolio manager at Pictet Asset Management Japan. The ministry's data is based on reporting from major market players and covers not just stocks but also ETFs and over-the-counter (OTC) trades. Separate data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which covers just listed stocks, has also shown foreign investors have been buying Japanese stocks for 11 weeks. Many market players suspect the continued inflow likely reflects global investors' rotation out of U.S. stocks.
Bloomberg
26-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Foreign Investors Sold Japan Stocks for First Time in 12 Weeks
Foreign investors were net sellers of Japanese stocks last week for the first time since March, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. They sold a net ¥524.3 billion ($3.62 billion) of the shares in the period ended June 20, the data showed. In the 11 weeks prior to that, the investors bought ¥7.236 trillion of Japanese stocks in total despite concerns about US tariffs.
