Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has partnered with global index provider FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices. Photo: Jeff Topping / The National
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has partnered with global index provider FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices. Photo: Jeff Topping / The National
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has partnered with global index provider FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices. Photo: Jeff Topping / The National
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has partnered with global index provider FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices. Photo: Jeff Topping / The National

ADX replaces benchmark index with FTSE ADX General Index to streamline performance gauges


Sarmad Khan
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the best performing GCC bourse in 2021, has partnered with global index provider FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices to bring its stock performance measures in line with global standards.

The FTSE ADX General Index is replacing the ADX General Index, and FTSE ADX sector indexes will take the place of the existing sector indexes. The move became effective on Monday, ADX said in a statement.

The co-branded indexes will support the development of the recently launched ADX derivatives market.

ADX launched its single stock futures in the fourth quarter of 2021 following an agreement sealed in September with the Nasdaq in September to deliver matching, real-time clearing and settlement technology as the Abu Dhabi exchange continues to broaden its asset class offerings to investors.

The Abu Dhabi bourse is the first exchange in the region to use FTSE Russell as its index administrator. The partners plan to develop new indexes that will support the ADX’s vision of introducing new tradable index products on the market.

“Our partnership with FTSE Russell is part of ADX’s wide-ranging strategy to develop a dynamic exchange, which includes investment in state-of-the art market technology and increasing the opportunity set for investors and issuers,” said Saeed Al Dhaheri, chief executive and managing director of the ADX.

“The new range of FTSE-ADX index will provide robust benchmarks and support the listing of index derivatives, ETFs [and] other index-based products on the exchange.”

ADX’s benchmark index crossed the 9,000-point threshold in 2021 for the first time. The benchmark gauge, which soared 64 per cent last year, is among the best performing in the world. The ADX market capitalisation has more than doubled to Dh1.6 trillion ($436 billion).

The bourse, which is home to the UAE’s largest telecoms company, Etisalat, and biggest bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, has garnered the attention of foreign investors with foreign capital flows reaching Dh15.2bn last year, according to the statement.

ADX, the second-largest bourse in the Arab world by market value, saw several listings last year as the exchange continued to expand its portfolio of offerings.

Our partnership with FTSE Russell is part of ADX’s wide-ranging strategy to develop a dynamic exchange, which includes investment in state-of-the art market technology and increasing the opportunity set for investors and issuers
Saeed Al Dhaheri,
chief executive, ADX

Multiply Group, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company (IHC), listed its shares in December, making it the eighth IHC subsidiary to enter the emirate’s main market in less than a year.

In October, Fertiglobe, the world’s largest seaborne exporter of urea and ammonia combined, raised about $795 million from its listing on the ADX. That offering followed Adnoc Drilling, which reaped $1.1bn from its listing in the same month. In July, Yahsat, a unit of Mubadala Investment Company, raised about $730m through its listing.

“ADX is an innovative and vibrant marketplace that empowers the UAE’s economy. We are delighted to work together to strengthen the country’s capital markets with open access to data, pricing, and performance metrics,” said Arne Stall, chief executive at FTSE Russell.

“Our collaboration confirms FTSE Russell’s commitment to the Middle East region and we look forward to announcing a range of new benchmarks in the coming months.”

A German university was a good fit for the family budget

Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600

Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between  £200-600

The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually

Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated 

As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640

Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

 

 

8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint

Greenheart Organic Farms 

This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.

www.greenheartuae.com

Modibodi  

Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.

www.modibodi.ae

The Good Karma Co

From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes. 

www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco

Re:told

One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.

www.shopretold.com

Lush

Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store. 

www.mena.lush.com

Bubble Bro 

Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.

www.bubble-bro.com

Coethical 

This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.

www.instagram.com/coethical

Eggs & Soldiers

This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.

www.eggsnsoldiers.com

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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Updated: January 10, 2022, 3:03 PM