The total amount of traded shares in the Saudi Stock Exchange reached SR270.09 billion in April 2012, a drop of 15.41 percent from the previous month where the value of the traded shares was SR319.28 billion, Tadawul said on its website Wednesday. Stock benchmark Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) closed at 7,558.47 points in April, losing 3.53 percent or 276.68 points over the previous month. On an YTD basis, TASI registered 17.77 percent increase of 1,140.74 points. Highest close level for the index during the month was 7,930.58 points recorded on April 3. Total equity market capitalization at the end of April 2012 reached SR1,481.36 billion ($395.03 billion), decreased by 3.78 percent over the close of the previous month. The total value of shares traded for the month of April 2012 reached SR270.09 billion ($72.02 billion), decreased by 15.41 percent over the previous month. The total number of shares traded reached 12.69 billion shares in April 2012 compared to 15.02 billion shares traded for the previous month, a drop of 15.52 percent. The total number of transactions done reached 5.15 million compared to 5.61 million trades in March, or a fall of 8.26 percent. GCC stock markets retreated in April, losing 3.2 percent following an increase of 6 percent in March and 7.6 percent in February, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) said Wednesday. Qatar, which lost 1.2 percent in April, was the only GCC market with a YTD loss. Oman remained in the green, and witnessed a 3.2 percent gain last month. Volume was down 25 percent MoM in the GCC and value traded also decreased 18 percent to $77 billion. Bahrain (-70 percent) witnessed the largest drop in liquidity over the month and Saudi Arabia which accounted for 91 percent of GCC's total value traded registered an 18 percent drop. Risk in the GCC (as measured by the Markaz Volatility Index - MVX) was up 38 percent in April. Risk in Saudi was up 48 percent for the month while MVX Abu Dhabi shed 44 percent.
