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Sahem Trading and investments opens PEX to Foreign Institutional Investment

2011-11-23

Sahem Trading and investments is continuing its accomplishments in the financial services and investment sector and at both local and international levels, achieving a strong record in developments at various levels before the end of the year. In the framework of its efforts to strengthen coherence of Palestine stock exchange and stimulate trading levels, Sahem has recently signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with a New York-based brokerage firm that specializes in global trade execution and exclusive local research for U.S. institutional investors, to encourage foreign investment in Palestine Stock Exchange listed companies.

Through its exclusive partnership with Sahem Trading & Investments, Auerbach Grayson will provide its institutional clients with on-the-ground intelligence and increased coverage of investing opportunities in Palestine. The partnership also allows Sahem Trading & Investments to expand its global business to the U.S. by servicing Auerbach Grayson’s clients, more than 500 of the world’s largest institutional investors, comprising 2,500 international portfolio managers and analysts.

Samir Zraiq, the General Manager of Sahem Trading & Investments said that "we are making these efforts to promote the confidence of our local clients at first, in an attempt to attract new liquidity to the Palestine stock exchange through opening our market to institutional investors with experience in dealing and trading in emerging markets such as Palestine. This is in order to support our market stability and strengthen the confidence of our local clients ".

Sahem hosted last month, the co-founder of Auerbach Grayson Jonathan Auerbach, and a delegation of seniors emerging markets investors from the United States, where they had visited several companies, most notably Palestine Telecommunications company PALTEL and Palestine Development and Investment company "PADICO Holding” , in addition to meeting with Governor of Palestine Monetary Authority Dr. Jehad Al-Wazir.

Despite the turmoil in the Arab markets, we are seeing increased demand for coverage throughout the entire region,” said David Grayson, Managing Director and co-founder of Auerbach Grayson.  “Offering research, execution and access to corporate management of the Palestinian market is an extension of our everyday business.  At the same time, it enables investors to participate in the continued growth we are witnessing in Palestine.”

"Our partnership with Auerbach Grayson will enable us to further foreign investment in Palestine by building relationships with some of the largest institutional investors in the world,” said Samir Zraiq, General Manager of Sahem Trading & Investments. “We see this partnership as an integral step in attracting some of the world’s savviest investors.”

Sahem Trading and investments has achieved many accomplishments that would develop the financial services sector in Palestine, where they initiated a feasibility study in July 2010 on the possibility of listing Palestine on the indices of the emerging markets, and started to connect with major companies such as MSCI, FTSE and Russell Investments, to list Palestine to their indices. Sahem handed over the file to PEX, as it is the legal authorized party to complete the formalities.

On another level, Sahem was the leader in introducing new investment tools in the Palestinian market, and had invited the Bank of New York Mellon to implement a due diligence about the Palestinian market, to establish Global Depository Receipts recommended by senior investors of international funds that invest in emerging markets. Later on, Palestine Development and investment PADICO signed g signed a memorandum of understanding on issuing the first Palestinian Global Depository Receipts (GDR) with the Bank of New York Mellon, which will represent PADICO in Global Depository Receipts ―GDR, where these receipts will be offered outside the framework of the market and the bank will assume responsibility for the offering and definition. The agreement signing was hosted by Sahem in the Bank’s headquarters in London.

According to, Ahmad Aweideh, Chief Executive of the Palestine Stock Exchange; “The partnership between Sahem and Auerbach Grayson enables U.S. investors for the first time to have direct access to our market.  Our exchange and safekeeping systems are highly automated and we have a fully developed regulatory overlay.

Sahem Trading and investments attaches a great importance to raising the standards of the financial services and the financial analysis in Palestine stock exchange, where it strives to steer investment decisions towards good analysis, based on scientific and analytical basis, in order to change the stereotype of trading by extracting fair values of the shares of listed companies, depending the outstanding financial performance of the listed companies. Sahem has initiated  signing agreements with leading companies that are specializing in providing financial markets data and analysis for distributing research and reports prepared by Sahem; "capital IQ" ,”Zawya Dow Jones " and “Auerbach Grayson ".