ADX market capitalization crosses AED 2 trillion

For the first time in its history, the market capitalization of Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has crossed AED2 trillion ($545 billion) on June 6. ADX became the region’s youngest exchange by reaching this landmark milestone and second largest bourse in the Middle East in the last two decades.

The 25% year-to-date spike in the exchange’s market capitalisation was bolstered by a spate of IPOs and listings over the past year, including Abu Dhabi Ports, Fertiglobe, Adnoc Drilling, Alpha Dhabi and Multiply Group, according to an official release issued on Tuesday.

Most recently, petrochemicals company Borouge raised Dh2 billion in an IPO and listed last week, while ADQ and Chimera Capital launched the first ADX-listed SPAC.

The significant milestone has been supported by ‘ADX One,’ the exchange’s strategy to enhance liquidity through listing incentives, trading fees reductions and rolling out innovative products and services. The exchange’s benchmark index, the FTSE ADX General Index, has gained 16 per cent this year, making it one of the best performing stock markets worldwide.

New initiatives

Since the launch of ‘ADX One’ at the beginning of 2021, the exchange has developed several new initiatives to boost market liquidity, including the introduction of a derivatives market in the fourth quarter of 2021.

This was followed by an agreement with FTSE Russell to develop co-branded indices, including a tradable version of the FTSE FADX 15 Index that will be launched in 2022. The exchange has also established a framework for listing Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) on ADX, approved by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) in January.

2021 Bumper Year

The advances come on the heels of a bumper year in 2021, when its market capitalisation more than doubled to Dh1.6 trillion from Dh750 billion. That followed several new listings on the Growth Market, including Palm Sports, Zee Stores and Easy Lease, three subsidiaries of IHC, and an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

Previously known as the Second Market, the Growth Market was rebranded in April to accelerate Abu Dhabi’s fast-developing ecosystem for emerging companies.

The exchange recorded an 87% year-on-year increase in the value of total trades made in the first quarter of 2022. Traded values (buy + sell) on the exchange rose to Dh202 billion in Q1 of 2022 from Dh108 billion in Q1 2021.

Meanwhile, the market value of shares owned by foreign investors in Q1 of 2022 jumped 163% to Dh131 billion from Dh50 billion in Q1 2021.