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Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
GCC share sales raised $2.4 billion in second quarter
GCC equity markets continued to attract capital and investor interest in Q2 2025, a report showed on Monday. PwC Middle East's latest IPO Watch report reveals that a total of $2.4 billion was raised across four main market IPOs and eight listings on Saudi Arabia's Nomu Parallel Market. Despite volatile equity markets early in the quarter, regional indices demonstrated resilience, reinforcing the region's position as a hub for capital markets activity. IPO proceeds in Q2 2025 were broadly in line with the same period last year ($2.6 billion in Q2 2024), despite a decline in the number of listings. Notably, three IPOs raised over $500 million each, reflecting larger deal size and sustained investor appetite. Saudi Arabia remained the most active market, accounting for 76 per cent of IPO proceeds, supported by landmark listings like Flynas, the first airline IPO in the GCC in more than 15 years, and Specialised Medical Co., which raised $500 million in June. The Nomu market also remained robust, with eight listings raising $128 million, up from $81 million in Q2 2024. In the UAE, the Dubai Residential Reit IPO marked the first Reit listing since 2014 and underlined renewed momentum in real estate and alternative assets. The DFM and ADX both rebounded strongly from early-quarter volatility, gaining 15 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, with the DFM benefiting from positive performance across the real estate, financials and industrials sectors. 'The global market volatility at the start of Q2, driven by uncertainty over global trade tariffs, understandably prompted some companies to reassess their IPO plans. Despite slower IPO activity across the GCC, Tadawul and DFM witnessed landmark IPOs such as Flynas and Dubai Residential Reit. The outlook remains cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the year subject to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors,' said Muhammad Hassan, Capital Markets Leader, Partner at PwC Middle East. Across the GCC, equity markets delivered mixed performance in Q2 2025. While early-quarter turbulence weighed on sentiment, recovery in the second half of the quarter helped restore investor confidence. Energy price fluctuations continue to influence indices, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where the TASI fell 6 per cent due to a ~20 per cent drop in Brent crude. Looking ahead, PwC highlights that while Q3 is typically a quieter period for IPOs, issuers across the GCC are gearing up for potential listings in late 2025 and early 2026 - the pipeline remains strong and diversified.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia leads GCC IPO market with $1.8bn in Q2 listings: PwC
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia dominated Gulf equity markets in the second quarter of 2025, securing 76 percent of total initial public offering proceeds amid strong investor demand for listings on its bourses. According to PwC Middle East's latest IPO Watch report, Gulf Cooperation Council equity markets raised $2.4 billion from four main market IPOs and eight listings on Saudi Arabia's Nomu Parallel Market. The proceeds were broadly in line with the $2.6 billion raised during the same period in 2024, despite a decline in the number of listings. The Kingdom's leadership was underscored by high-profile IPOs such as Flynas, the region's first airline listing in over 15 years, and Specialized Medical Co., which raised $500 million in June. Three IPOs in the region raised over $500 million each, reflecting strong investor appetite and a shift toward larger deals. 'The global market volatility at the start of Q2, driven by uncertainty over global trade tariffs, understandably prompted some companies to reassess their IPO plans,' said Muhammad Hassan, capital markets leader, partner at PwC Middle East. 'Despite slower IPO activity across the GCC, Tadawul and DFM witnessed landmark IPOs such as Flynas and Dubai Residential REIT," he added. "The outlook remains cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the year, subject to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors.' Strong IPO performance was further bolstered by rising foreign investor participation across Gulf stock markets, with net inflows jumping 50 percent quarter on quarter to reach $4.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025, according to a report by Kuwait-based asset management company Kamco Invest released earlier in July. This marked the sixth consecutive quarter of net foreign inflows into GCC equities. Kamco reported that Saudi Arabia attracted the highest inflows at $1.4 billion, up from $252.3 million the previous quarter, reflecting increased investor confidence amid the Kingdom's ongoing market liberalization and economic diversification efforts. PwC reported that the Nomu market showed continued strength, with eight listings raising $128 million in the second quarter of the year, up from $81 million during the same period last year. In the UAE, the Dubai Residential REIT IPO marked the first real estate investment trust listing since 2014, signaling renewed investor interest in alternative assets. The Dubai Financial Market and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange rebounded from early turbulence, with the Dubai Financial Market gaining 15 percent and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange rising 7 percent. Regional equity indices saw mixed performance, with early-quarter uncertainty followed by recovery later in the period. In Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All Share Index declined 6 percent, influenced by a nearly 20 percent drop in Brent crude prices. Looking ahead, PwC said that while the third quarter typically experiences reduced IPO activity, the pipeline for late 2025 and early 2026 remains strong and diversified.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
3 Momentum Anomaly Picks as Markets Hit Record High on the Trot
The broader U.S. equity markets scripted history by continuously hitting record highs over the past few days, buoyed by strong quarterly earnings performance from hitherto-reported firms across all sectors. In particular, solid earnings from blue-chip technology stocks that portrayed the growing clout of AI infrastructure spending induced positive investor sentiments. Moreover, renewed trade deals between the United States and its trading partners for a mutually beneficial tariff policy boosted the markets. Investors now await further clarity on the interest rate cuts with the Federal Reserve slated to meet next week. Amid the vagaries of the market, investors often seek to employ time-tested winning strategies to fetch sustained profits. One of the most successful game plans to beat the blues is to bet on momentum stocks, like Netflix, Inc. NFLX, Robinhood Markets, Inc. HOOD and Affirm Holdings, Inc. AFRM when value or growth investing fails to generate the desired profits. This approach primarily tends to follow the adage, 'the trend is your friend.' At its core, momentum investing is 'buying high and selling higher.' It is based on the idea that once a stock establishes a trend, it is more likely to continue in that direction because of the momentum that is already behind it. Momentum investing is a way to profit from the general human tendency to extrapolate current trends into the future. It is based on that gap in time before the mean reversion occurs, i.e., before prices become rational again. Momentum strategies have been known to be alpha-generative over a long period and across market stages. So, this strategy is quite tricky to implement, as detecting these trends is no child's play. Here, we have created a strategy to help investors get in on these fast movers and rake in handsome gains. Our screen will help you benefit from both long-term price momentum and a short-term pullback in price. Screening Parameters for Momentum Anomaly Stocks Percentage Change in Price (52 Weeks) = Top #50: This selects the top 50 stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks. This parameter ensures we get the best stocks that have appreciated steadily over the past year. Percentage Change in Price (1 Week) = Bottom #10: From the above 50 stocks, we then choose those that are also among the 10 worst performers over a short one-week period. This parameter picks the ones that have witnessed a short-term pullback in price. Zacks Rank #1: Stocks sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance irrespective of the market conditions. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Momentum Style Score of B or Better: A top Momentum Style Score knocks out a lot of the screening process as it takes into account several factors that include volume change and performance relative to its peers. It indicates when the timing is best to grab a stock and take advantage of its momentum with the highest probability of success. Stocks with a Momentum Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy), handily outperform other stocks. Current Price greater than $5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5. Market Capitalization = Top #3000: We have chosen stocks that are among the top 3000 in terms of market value to ensure the stability of price. Average 20-Day Volume greater than 100,000: A substantial trading volume ensures that these stocks are easily tradable. Here are three stocks out of the five that made it through this screen: Los Gatos, CA-based Netflix is considered a pioneer in the streaming space. The company has evolved from a small DVD-rental provider to a dominant streaming service provider, courtesy of its wide-ranging content portfolio and a fortified international footprint. Netflix streams movies, television shows and documentaries across a wide variety of genres and languages. Domestic and international subscribers can watch them on a host of Internet-connected devices, including television sets, computers and mobile devices. The stock has surged 86.2% in the past year but declined 7.3% in the past week. Netflix has a Momentum Score of A. Headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, Robinhood Markets is a financial services company that offers trading services in crypto, stocks, options, exchange-traded funds, cash management, margin and securities lending and Robinhood Gold. The company aims to democratize finance through its commission-free trading model, which was launched in 2013, with no account minimums. The company serves in the United States, the United Kingdom and selected European Union (EU) jurisdictions through its apps and subsidiaries. The stock has rallied 381.3% in the past year but lost 3.3% in the past week. Robinhood Markets has a Momentum Score of A. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Affirm is a financial technology firm specializing in payment solutions that provide consumers with flexible, transparent installment loans — both interest-free and interest-bearing — at the point of sale. By partnering with a diverse range of merchants, Affirm enables customers to pay for purchases over time. The stock has surged 148.7% in the past year but declined 5.2% in the past week. Affirm has a Momentum Score of B. You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: #1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA) The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow. One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be. See This Stock Now for Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Netflix, Inc. (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM): Free Stock Analysis Report Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD): Free Stock Analysis Report
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Strong Results Boosted Cloudflare (NET) in Q2
Fred Alger Management, an investment management company, released its 'Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund' second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Equity markets regained their strength in the second quarter of 2025. Class A shares of the fund outperformed the Russell Midcap Growth Index during the quarter. The Industrials and Energy sectors contributed to the relative performance of the strategy in the quarter, while Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors detracted. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund highlighted stocks such as Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET). Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses worldwide. The one-month return of Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) was -0.95%, and its shares gained 142.38% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 23, 2025, Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) stock closed at $189.15 per share, with a market capitalization of $65.561 billion. Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund stated the following regarding Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter: "Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) provides cloud-based security, performance optimization, and reliability solutions designed to enhance the speed, safety, and resilience of internet applications and websites worldwide. Its products include content delivery networks, website protection, and application performance services, as well as advanced developer tools that support building and deploying web applications. We believe the company is benefiting from several favorable product cycles, robust sales execution, and an exceptional management team. In our view, the company is well positioned to capitalize on key industry trends, including edge based AI, secure access service edge (SASE), edge security solutions, and zero trust network access. Shares contributed positively during the quarter following strong fiscal first-quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates. Better-than-expected revenues were driven by increased demand for subscription services and heightened adoption of its developer platform, Workers, and SASE offerings. Additionally, investor optimism was fueled by Cloudflare securing a significant new contract exceeding $100 million, highlighting the growing importance and scale of its platform. Management also reaffirmed robust full-year revenue guidance, signaling confidence in continued growth and strategic execution." Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 65 hedge fund portfolios held Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) at the end of the first quarter, which was 55 in the previous quarter. Cloudflare, Inc.'s (NYSE:NET) revenue for the first quarter revenue increased 27% year-over-year to $479.1 million. While we acknowledge the potential of Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. In another article, we covered Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) and shared the list of stocks Jim Cramer weighed in. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vertiv Holdings Co (VRT) Benefited from Accelerated Demand
Fred Alger Management, an investment management company, released its 'Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund' second-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Equity markets regained their strength in the second quarter of 2025. Class A shares of the fund outperformed the Russell Midcap Growth Index during the quarter. The Industrials and Energy sectors contributed to the relative performance of the strategy in the quarter, while Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors detracted. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund highlighted stocks such as Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT). Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) provides critical digital infrastructure technologies and life cycle services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments. The one-month return of Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) was 7.03%, and its shares gained 65.66% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On June 23, 2025, Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) stock closed at $130.19 per share, with a market capitalization of $49.616 billion. Alger Mid Cap Focus Fund stated the following regarding Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter: "Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) specializes in critical cooling and power management infrastructure technologies, catering primarily to data center clients. As an industry leader in data center power and cooling solutions, we believe Vertiv is well-positioned to benefit from long term growth driven by increasing demand for AI and computing capabilities. During the quarter, shares contributed positively to performance after the company delivered strong first-quarter results, where revenues and earnings both exceeded analyst estimates driven by rising demand from AI-enabled data centers. Investor optimism was further fueled by upbeat guidance, with management raising full-year revenue estimates and signaling continued AI-driven growth in orders and backlog." A close-up of a group of technicians working on complex data center systems. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 90 hedge fund portfolios held Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) at the end of the first quarter, which was 92 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. In another article, we covered Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) and shared the list of buzzing stocks everyone is talking about. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
