Stock Market Gains Stimulate Idle Funds
Ahmed Maghrabit: The Kuwait Stock Exchange witnessed a noticeable expansion in the base of active trading accounts held by Kuwaiti individuals during 2026, a sign reflecting increased investment activity among citizens in the stock market. The number of active Kuwaiti individual accounts rose from 43,797 at the end of December 2025 to 51,477 at the end of August 2026, representing a net increase of 7,680 accounts over eight months, or a growth rate of 17.54%.
These figures gain greater significance when compared to the total base of active trading accounts in the market. The total number of active accounts across all nationalities and categories reached 55,569 at the end of August 2026, meaning that Kuwaiti individual accounts alone accounted for 92.64% of the total active accounts in the market, or more than nine out of every ten active accounts. Meanwhile, the total number of active accounts in the market increased from 48,973 at the end of December 2025 to 55,569 at the end of August 2026, a rise of 6,596 accounts.
Notably, the increase in active Kuwaiti individual accounts, amounting to 7,680, exceeded the net increase recorded in the total active accounts in the market, which stood at 6,596 during the same period. The growth in Kuwaiti individual accounts equaled 116.43% of the total net increase, a ratio exceeding 100% due to a net decline in the number of active accounts among other categories during the period.
The figures reveal a significant expansion in the base of Kuwaiti individuals who engaged in actual market activity, according to the definition of an active account adopted in the data. This category added 7,680 active accounts to its total during the first eight months of the year, rising from 43,797 at the end of December to 51,477 at the end of August. In contrast, the number of active Kuwaiti institutional accounts stood at 486 at the end of August, down from 498 in December, confirming that the increase in Kuwaiti activity during the period came from individuals rather than institutions.
Monthly trends show that active Kuwaiti individual accounts began the year with 45,027 accounts in January 2026, then recorded 44,754 in February, 44,145 in March, 45,736 in April, and 46,877 in May, before jumping to 48,617 in June, then 49,675 in July, reaching 51,477 in August 2026, which is the highest level recorded during the period covered by the data. Comparing January to August 2026, the number of active Kuwaiti individual accounts rose from 45,027 to 51,477, representing an increase of 6,450 accounts and a growth rate of 14.32%. The largest jump occurred in the final months, as active Kuwaiti individual accounts added 2,860 accounts between the end of June and the end of August alone, rising from 48,617 to 51,477.
The data also show that the total number of trading accounts in the market, both active and inactive, reached 475,218 at the end of August 2026, of which 55,569 were active. This means that active accounts accounted for 11.69% of the total trading accounts registered in the market by the end of the month.
The characterization of an “active account” is important for interpreting these figures. The data define active accounts as those that executed at least one trade during the last six months, while accounts that did not trade during the same period are considered inactive. Therefore, the rise in active Kuwaiti individual accounts does not necessarily mean that 7,680 new investors entered the stock exchange, but rather reflects a net increase of this number in the pool of Kuwaiti individual accounts that meet the definition of an active account between the end of December 2025 and the end of August 2026.
