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Al-Quds Index in the red zone amid lack of liquidity

2023-06-08

 Sahem Weekly Trading Report (04-08)-06-2023

In the second week of June, Al-Quds Index traded in a relatively narrow range, to close at the level of 651.60 points; down by 0.34% than its previous weekly closing level. While the Index recorded gains of 1.86% compared to its yearly closing at the end of 2022. On another hand, the trading in Palestine Stock Exchange PEX is still very weak and scarce. However, with the several and different reasons for the lack of liquidity, the majority of the Palestinian listed companies’ shareholders are still holding their financial positions, in hope to diminish all of these reasons to touch a reviving in the PEX in the coming period.

According to a report by Palestine Monetary Authority PMA, the inflation rate will record around 2.20% for the year 2023 as a whole, as it is expected to gradually decline in the years’ quarters. These expectations are set against a backdrop of forecasting a slight decline in world prices in the coming quarters, and thus a decline in import costs, which would push inflation rates down again, despite expectations of a slight increase in consumption levels. These forecasts remain subject to some risks, such as those associated with global commodity prices and/or a greater increase in domestic demand than expected according to the baseline scenario, which leads to a further rise in the inflation rate, to 3% in 2023, while its decline may push inflation back to 0.01% in the same year.

Regarding the economic indicators and according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics PCBS, the overall Industrial Production Index IPI in Palestine reached 96.86 during April 2023 with a decrease of 11.31% compared to 96.86 during March 2023 (Base Year 2019). IPI for April 2023 decreased due to the decrease in the activities of water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation by 14.13%, which had a share of 1.84% of the total industry, the activities of manufacturing industry by 12.13%, which had a share of 87.89% of the total industry, the activities of mining and quarrying by 5.33% which had a share of 2.89% of the total industry, and the activities of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply by 3.75% which had a share of 7.38% of the total industry.