Specialized Report: Institutional and Corporate Sector Accounts for 67.6% of Shares Sold on Kuwait Stock Exchange

Kuwait City, 7 Nov (KUNA) -- A specialized economic report stated that the institutional and corporate sector remained the largest participant in the Kuwait Stock Exchange from January 1, 2026, to October 31, 2026. Its share rose to account for 67.6 percent of the total value of shares sold, compared to 60.7 percent during the same period in 2025, and approximately 67.3 percent of the total value of shares purchased, compared to 62.3 percent in the same period of 2025.

The "Al-Shal" consulting report, released on Saturday, based on figures from the Kuwait Clearing Company, noted that the institutional and corporate sector sold shares worth 11.737 billion Kuwaiti dinars (approximately $36.032 billion) and purchased shares worth 11.688 billion dinars (approximately $35.882 billion), making it the net seller with a balance of approximately 48.8 million dinars (approximately $149.8 million).

It added that the second largest contributor to market liquidity was the individual sector, whose share declined to account for 29.7 percent of the total value of shares purchased, compared to 35.8 percent during the same period in 2025, and approximately 29.3 percent of the total value of shares sold, compared to 37.4 percent in the same period of 2025.

The report clarified that individual investors purchased shares worth 5.157 billion dinars (approximately $15.831 billion) and sold shares worth 5.092 billion dinars (approximately $15.632 billion), resulting in a net buying position (the only group with net purchases) of approximately 65.2 million dinars (approximately $200 million).

It indicated that the client accounts (portfolios) sector ranked third in market liquidity contribution, with its share rising to account for 2.6 percent of the total value of shares sold, compared to 1.4 percent during the same period in 2025, and approximately 2.6 percent of the total value of shares purchased, compared to 1.5 percent in the same period of 2025. According to the report, the client accounts (portfolios) sector sold shares worth 456.702 million dinars (approximately $1.4 billion) and purchased shares worth 453.745 million dinars (approximately $1.3 billion), resulting in a net selling position of approximately 2.957 million dinars (approximately $9.07 million).

It noted that the last contributor to market liquidity was the investment funds sector, which accounted for 0.5 percent of the total value of shares sold, the same percentage as the corresponding period in 2025, and approximately 0.4 percent of the total value of shares purchased, compared to 0.5 percent in the same period of 2025. The report continued that the investment funds sector sold shares worth 80.192 million dinars (approximately $246.189 million) and purchased shares worth 66.766 million dinars (approximately $204.971 million), resulting in a net selling position of approximately 13.4 million dinars (approximately $41.13 million).

The report stated that a characteristic of the Kuwait Stock Exchange is its continued local nature, as Kuwaiti investors remained the largest participants, purchasing shares worth 14.560 billion dinars (approximately $44.699 billion), thereby accounting for 83.8 percent of the total value of shares purchased, compared to 85.4 percent during the same period in 2025.

It pointed out that Kuwaiti investors sold shares worth 14.166 billion dinars (approximately $43.489 billion), accounting for 81.6 percent of the total value of shares sold, compared to 87.6 percent during the same period in 2025, bringing their net trading position (the only group with net purchases) to approximately 393.7 million dinars (approximately $1.2 billion).

The report stated that the share of other investors in the total value of shares sold amounted to approximately 2.937 billion dinars (about 9.016 billion dollars), representing 16.9 percent of the total value of shares sold, compared with 10.5 percent for the same period in 2025. It noted that the value of shares purchased by other investors reached about 2.6 billion dinars (approximately 7.9 billion dollars), accounting for 15 percent, compared with 13.1 percent for the same period in 2025, bringing their net trading position to a net seller position of about 337.044 million dinars (roughly 1 billion dollars).

It added that the share of investors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the total value of shares sold was about 1.5 percent, compared with 1.9 percent for the same period in 2025, valued at 262.946 million dinars (approximately 807.244 million dollars). The value of shares purchased by GCC investors amounted to about 206.282 million dinars (around 633.285 million dollars), or roughly 1.2 percent, compared with 1.5 percent for the same period in 2025, resulting in a net seller position of about 56.6 million dinars (approximately 173.7 million dollars).

The report (Shal) showed a change in the relative distribution among nationalities compared to the previous period, with Kuwaitis accounting for about 82.7 percent, traders of other nationalities for 15.9 percent, and traders from GCC countries for 1.4 percent, compared with 86.5 percent for Kuwaitis, 11.8 percent for traders of other nationalities, and 1.7 percent for traders from GCC countries during the same period last year.

The report pointed out that the number of active trading accounts rose by about 19.2 percent between the end of December 2025 and the end of October 2026, compared with a 93.6 percent increase between the end of December 2024 and the end of October 2025. It clarified that the number of active trading accounts at the end of October 2026 reached about 56,834 accounts, representing 11.9 percent of total accounts, compared with 57,472 accounts at the end of September 2026, which accounted for 12.1 percent of total accounts in that month, marking a decline of 1.1 percent. (End) M.K.A. / T.M.