Emirati Equities Extend Rally as Central Bank Keeps Base Rate Unchanged
Shares in the United Arab Emirates extended their winning streak to a third day as investors assessed the Central Bank's decision to keep its base rate unchanged.At the close of Thursday trading, the FTSE ADX General Index gained 1.173%, while the DFM General Index added 2.51%.The UAE Central Bank decided to hold the base rate applicable to the overnight deposit facility at 3.65%, mirroring the US Federal Reserve's move on Wednesday to keep the federal funds rate unchanged between 3.50% and 3.75%. The decision was driven by the Emirati dirham's peg to the US dollar.The Emirati primary financial regulator also kept the interest rate applicable to borrowing short-term liquidity at 50 basis points above the base rate for all standing credit facilities."While Chair Warsh was unwilling to indicate the direction of the Fed funds rate ahead, nine of his 18 colleagues had no such reservations and pencilled in a hike to 3.75-4.00% by year end in the dot plot. That was a big change from the previous iteration in March, in which 12 out of 19 expected to cut this year. This, alongside Warsh's defence of his Fed's commitment to the 2% inflation half of the Fed's mandate led investors to price in 38bp of tightening this year up from 21bp previously. A hike is now fully priced in by October," Berenberg said.Boosting sentiment is the electronic signing of a 14-point memorandum of understanding between US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Back home and on the corporate side, Ras Al Khaimah Co. for White Cement and Construction Materials (ADX:RAKWCT) closed 4.46% in the green. The ceramic manufacturer will pause trading on July 13 due to its annual general meeting.Meanwhile, in Dubai, Shares of Emirates NBD (DFM:EMIRATESNBD) closed 7.21% higher as it concluded the purchase of a majority stake in Indian private sector bank RBL Bank after receipt of required approvals and fulfillment of closing conditions.
