Emirati Stocks End Week Downbeat as Fresh US-Iran Attacks Weigh on Market Sentiment
Markets in the United Arab Emirates ended Friday's trading session in negative territory as investors turned cautious amid renewed attacks between the US and Iran.At the close of trading, the FTSE ADX General Index fell 0.370%, while the DFM General Index was 0.50% in the red.Iran attacked three US warships in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US Central Command retaliated with attacks on Iranian military facilities involved in the strikes, diminishing markets' hopes for a peace deal and a stable ceasefire.The exchange of attacks follows reports that Iran is reviewing a US proposal and is expected to respond through Pakistan. US President Donald Trump also said in a social media post on Friday that the US will knock Iran "a lot harder, and a lot more violently" if a deal is not signed."Market optimism is fading again, after some military skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz and the US restarting its escorting programme. There is still some hope that a deal will be agreed before the 14-15 May US-China summit, but risks are clearly very binary for USD crosses at this stage," ING said. "If this proves to be another episode of misplaced optimism on a US-Iran deal, not only does the dollar have plenty of upside room to recover, but there's a good chance investors will prove more cautious and won't jump as aggressively into de-escalation trades without concrete progress in negotiations."Closer to home, the UAE's Ministry of Defence said in a Friday statement that the country's air defense systems engaged two ballistic missiles and three unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran.On the corporate side, Emirates Driving Co. (ADX:DRIVE) rebranded to Emirates Mobility Co. as part of its strategic transformation into an integrated mobility ecosystem. Shares of the driving school operator closed the session 1.59% lower.Over in Dubai, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co. (DFM:DU), d/b/a du, closed 3.13% in the green. The telecommunications company appointed BHM Capital Financial Services (DFM:BHMCAPITAL), whose shares closed the session flat, as its liquidity provider.