The number of retail investors on Tadawul edged up in 2016

Retail investors on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) rose 1.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 4.61 million by the end of 2016, compared to 4.55 million by the end of 2015, data from the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the kingdom’s market regulator, showed.

Retail investor portfolios jumped 6 percent YoY to 9.21 million for the same period.

A retail investor is an individual who buys securities their own personal account rather than for an organization or institution.

Saudi retail investors owned SAR 482.6 billion worth of stocks by the end of 2016, accounting for 29 percent of total market capital, which stood at SAR 1.68 trillion.

Specialist retail investors and senior retail investors owned shares worth SAR 265.2 billion and 136.4 billion, respectively.

Government agencies’ ownership in Saudi-listed companies increased by 12 percent YoY to SAR 662.7 billion in the same period, compared to SAR 591.9 billion by the end of 2015.

Institutions and investment funds’ ownership hit SAR 291.5 billion and SAR 88.2 billion respectively, in the same period.

Meanwhile, QFIs ownership saw a YoY rise of 39 percent in 2016 to SAR 1.98 billion, the data showed.