Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI1927
2006-05-10 11:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAE STOCK MARKET DOWN

Tags:  EFIN ECON AE EINF 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 001927 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON AE EINF
SUBJECT: UAE STOCK MARKET DOWN

REF: ABU DHABI 975

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 001927

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON AE EINF
SUBJECT: UAE STOCK MARKET DOWN

REF: ABU DHABI 975


1. (U) Summary: The UAE's two stock markets, like others in
the region, are experiencing a sharp drop from the high
prices of 2005. GCC investors, especially Saudis, are
reportedly withdrawing from the UAE market and investors are
nervous about increasing Iranian-U.S. tensions. The U.S.
stock market may be the beneficiary of the drop in GCC stock
markets as investors again look to move their financial
assets outside the region. UAE investors are highly
leveraged. Falling stock markets are forcing them to sell
their shares in order to meet their loan payments, further
driving down prices. So far, the UAE federal and emirate-
level governments are not intervening aggressively to prop
up the market, although they are looking at some steps to
improve investor confidence. Fundamentally, however, it
does not appear that the current bear market will have a
systemic effect on the UAE economy, although it may hurt
individual companies and investors. Other economic
indicators remain strong, oil prices are high, and the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi has sufficient reserves available to
cushion any major economic impact on UAE nationals. End
Summary.

The Bubble Has Burst
--------------


2. (U) In 2005, the UAE's two local stock markets grew
explosively, when they led the region in terms of market
capitalization, turnover, and number of IPOs. By the end of
2005, both the Dubai Financial Market and the Abu Dhabi
stock market were overvalued. In early 2006, two large
simultaneous IPOs pulled liquidity out of the market and
helped trigger a significant, ongoing correction (reftel).
As of May 7, both the Dubai Financial Market index and the
Abu Dhabi Stock Market index reached their lowest levels in
14 months. According to newspaper reports, total market
capitalization dropped about 20% from October 2005 (around
$221 billion) to $175 billion on May 7, 2006. Most
financial advisors and investors argue that the UAE stock
markets are either becoming reasonable again or are
undervalued. Several noted that blue chip stocks like
property developer Emaar and telecommunications company
Etisalat were extremely cheap, as were several financial
institutions.


3. (U) Although the market bubble was bound to pop, there
are concerns that it is overshooting on the way down. There
are several reasons for the continued drop. Very few

companies on either stock market are actively traded, a
factor which increases volatility. Regional investors, who
invested heavily in the UAE's market in 2005, have been
reducing their exposure. One institutional investor noted
that the Saudis triggered much of the latest stock market
drop when they sold their UAE securities to cover losses in
the Riyadh stock market.


4. (U) Market psychology certainly is playing a role, as
investors express concerns about Iranian-Western tensions, a
lack of transparency in the market, and general fears that
the markets will keep going down. One financial advisor
told econchief that although he thought the market was
fundamentally undervalued, he wouldn't recommend investing
in it until it stabilized.


5. (U) Leverage (i.e, borrowing) and "stop loss" orders for
sales are the major driving force behind the current drop.
There are five large mutual funds in the UAE offering both
UAE nationals and expatriates an easy way to invest in UAE
stock markets. All of these funds encouraged investors to
leverage their positions, and UAE banks have also increased
their loans to stock market participants. During the boom
market, investors were able to repay their short-term loans.
Now that the market is dropping, however, investors are
forced to sell their shares in order to repay these loans.
In addition, many investors - including the institutional
investors have "stop loss" orders instructing their brokers
to sell shares when they drop below a certain price. The
current drop in price has triggered these orders, further
pushing prices downward.

What is the Government doing?
--------------


6. (U) There are increasing public calls for the government
to act to help stabilize the market, and some limited
government action is already occurring. The Emirate of Abu
Dhabi has reportedly authorized its pension fund to invest
two billion dirhams in the Abu Dhabi stock market over the
next two to three months. One analyst argued that the UAEG
would not intervene in the market sufficiently. He noted
that the federal government didn't have the financial
resources to intervene aggressively in either market, and
that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is unlikely to intervene to
prop up Dubai's market. For its part, the Dubai government
is heavily invested in real estate projects and may not have
the funds readily available to intervene in the stock
market.


7. (U) The UAEG is looking at other steps to improve
regulations and investor confidence. The cabinet is
considering a Ministry of Economy proposal that would
facilitate company buy-backs of outstanding shares. The
Ministry of Economy has also taken steps to better regulate
the schedule of IPOs or new capital increases in order to
ensure that they do not draw liquidity from the market.
Some investors, however, are arguing that the intervention
is "too little, too late" and are clamoring for more
aggressive moves, including having the banks reschedule
loans so that investors do not need to liquidate their
holdings to meet repayment deadlines.


8. (U) There has also been a call for improving transparency
and regulations in the markets. The semi-official Arabic
daily Al-Ittihad published an editorial by the Emirates
Center for Strategic Studies and Research calling for
increased authority for regulators to deal with problems of
transparency and situations where some investors have access
to information in advance of others (i.e., insider trading).


9. (U) UAE stock markets are still relatively immature and
have been developing much faster than regulatory capability.
Hence, there are problems with transparency and governance.
Several financial analysts have privately noted, however,
that "no one complained when the market was going up," and
that regulations tend to tighten in market downturns. They
add that generally enough information is available on the
major companies for investors to be able to make investment
decisions. One Abu Dhabi investor admitted that it was
harder for him to assess the Dubai market, with its
extensive government ownership and cross holding of shares.
Even there, he argued, information on companies such as
National Bank of Dubai was adequate for analysis. The UAEG
has taken some steps to deal with the perception of
transparency, with the Securities and Commodities Authority
announcing that it would fine listed companies that failed
to disclose their first quarter results on time.

Where is the Money Going?
--------------


10. (U) High oil prices ensure that the UAE remains flush
with cash, although it is not going into the stock market.
One financial analyst noted that individuals are keeping
their funds in deposit accounts for the time being. Several
analysts stated that the U.S. stock market was the major
beneficiary of the fall in GCC stock markets. They argued
that post 9/11, many Gulf Arabs increased their regional
investments and reduced their U.S. exposure. With regional
tensions and falling regional equity markets, they are again
looking overseas. This means, they note, that the U.S.,
with the world's largest and most transparent capital
markets, is benefiting. They cite recent increases in the
U.S. markets to prove their contention.

What does the Market's Fall Mean to the Economy?
-------------- ---


11. (U) The local papers are full of articles discussing the
importance of a stock market to a country's economy, and
some are justifying government intervention on economic
grounds. It doesn't yet appear, however, that the markets'
fall will have a systemic impact on the UAE's economy. Oil
prices are projected to remain high and massive investment
projects, especially in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will continue
to support economic growth. This doesn't mean, however,
that some companies and investors won't be affected.


12. (U) The banking sector's profitability has been largely
due to its involvement in IPOs and equity markets, through
fees and margin lending. The insurance sector has invested
heavily in the UAE stock markets on its own account.
Individual investors are facing dropping stock market prices
and loan repayments. In addition, some analysts have warned
that the drop in the stock market could have an impact on
the overheated Dubai property market as investors either
sell off their property or (more likely?) don't invest as
heavily in new developments. In any case, the Government of
Abu Dhabi is likely to have sufficient financial resources
to cushion any major UAE-wide or Abu Dhabi specific economic
impact on UAE nationals.

Whither the Market?
--------------


13. (U) There is much speculation regarding where the UAE
market is going over the next few months. It is now getting
cheap enough to attract investors put off by the high prices
of 2005. Some analysts suggest that quasi-institutional
investors will eventually step in or companies will buy
their shares back. Others, especially those calling for
government intervention argue that UAE investors may be
losing trust in the market and are not likely to jump back
in quickly. They note that UAE stocks took years to recover
from the last collapse in the "over the counter" market in
the late '90s and suggest that recovery could be prolonged
in this case as well. No one is expecting a rapid growth in
the market like that seen in 2005.

SISON