NBK Capital Held Its First “The Insight” Investment Forum

KUWAIT: March 1, 2015

NBK Capital held the first of an annual series of investment forums entitled “The Insight”. The event outlined the views of various investment professionals at NBK and NBK Capital relating to the current investment environment in the MENA region.

Coinciding with NBK Capital’s tenth anniversary, “The Insight” comes as a new initiative by NBK Capital to share with its clients and investors updates on business operations, offer expert opinion on major trends and observations in the world of finance, as well as provide investment insights that could help stakeholders make informed investment decisions.

Chief Executive Officer of NBK Capital Mr. Faisal Al-Hamad commented, “We are delighted to host the first annual economic forum, “The Insight”. As NBK Capital heads towards its second decade of operation, we believe it is vital to continue to foster close working partnership with our clients and investors through transparent communications and open dialogue. Augmented by our clients and investors’ trust in us, NBK Capital formulates creative financial solutions that address the specific investment needs of clients, institutional customers and high-net-worth individuals”.

Key highlights of the event included a presentation on current macro-economic analysis and business observations of local and regional markets. It was noted that, “In the GCC markets, there are good growth anticipations in 2015-2016; business and consumer sentiment should stabilize with more stable oil markets”. Subsequent interactive presentations by a number of financial professionals at NBK Capital also exhibited valuable business insights. The MENA Equities-Asset Management Division provided international and regional historical evidence that “equities are rewarding over the long-term despite their significant volatility”. Meanwhile, representatives from NBK Capital’s Brokerage Division examined the performance of stock market operation in local and regional markets; “We believe that Kuwait is on the right track to achieve the qualifications needed to be classified as an emerging market by MSCI. The CMA is laying the groundwork to enhance custody, settlements, corporate governance and the addition of trading products, which are all required to have Kuwait upgraded to emerging status,” the Brokerage Division observed. The forum concluded with a roundtable discussion hosted by senior members of the Research Division at NBK Capital on the topic of ‘Key Trends in the Banking, Petrochemicals and the Transportation Sectors’.

Since its inception in 2005, NBK Capital prides itself on a reach and scale that is global, a focus that is regional and a service level that always remains personal. For more information, visit our website nbkcapital.com