RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is able to issue 50 or even 100-year bonds, but its debt office head said on Wednesday he was not keen to do so at the moment, raising concerns about selling debt of such long maturities.
Speaking at a business conference in the Saudi Arabian capital, Fahad Al-Saif said: “Are we able to issue 50, 100 years, yes. Are we able to issue in different currencies other than dollars, yes. Are we keen to take that step at the moment, I don’t think so.”
“We don’t want to take a step unless it reflects that issuances are mature issuances,” he said.
Among emerging market economies, Argentina last year sold a 100-year bond in US dollars, joining some countries in the euro zone who have taken advantage of a low-yield environment to sell long-dated bonds.
Saudi Arabia can issue 100-year bonds, but ‘not keen’ at the moment: Debt office head
Saudi Arabia can issue 100-year bonds, but ‘not keen’ at the moment: Debt office head
- Saudi Arabia is able to issue 50 or even 100-year bonds
- Speaking at a business conference in the Saudi Arabian capital, Fahad Al-Saif said the move was unlikely
Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 11,251
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Thursday, gaining 84.27 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 11,251.81.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.38 billion ($1.43 billion), as 188 of the stocks advanced and 67 retreated.
Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu gained 157.22 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 23,643.74. This comes as 44 of the stocks advanced while 32 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index gained 10.88 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 1,517.43.
The best-performing stock of the day was Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co., whose share price surged 9.96 percent to SR5.30.
Other top performers included Ataa Educational Co., whose share price rose 9.94 percent to SR57.50, as well as Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co., whose share price surged 5.74 percent to SR7.55.
Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co. recorded the most significant drop, falling 5.93 percent to SR220.50.
Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. also saw its stock prices fall 2.77 percent to SR43.56.
Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co. also saw its stock prices decline 2.30 percent to SR2.55.
On the announcement front, Multi Business Group Co. reported its annual financial results for the year ended Dec. 31. According to a Tadawul statement, the firm recorded a net profit of SR352,172 during the year, down 98 percent from the previous year.
The company attributed the decline primarily to a 2 percent drop in building contracting revenues and a 73 percent decrease in gross profit.
Multi Business Group Co. ended the session at SR9.90, down 1 percent.
Hamad Mohammed Bin Saedan Real Estate Co. announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Awwal Bank to enhance collaboration in financing solutions, advance real estate development projects, and expand access to customer financing programs.
Hamad Mohammed Bin Saedan Real Estate Co. ended the session at SR6.67, up 1.21 percent.
