RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s listed companies witnessed significant growth in 2024, with ACWA Power and Al Rajhi Bank emerging as the top performers on the Tadawul All Share Index.

ACWA Power Co. led the index, contributing 295 points, followed by Al Rajhi Bank with a 207-point increase, according to data from SNB Capital cited by Al-Ekhbariya.

ACWA Power’s stock surged from SR255.89 at the start of 2024 to SR401.4 by year-end, reflecting big growth. Similarly, Al Rajhi Bank’s stock rose from SR86.8 to SR94.6 during the same period. Other notable contributors included Saudi Research and Media Group, adding 44 points to the index, Elm Co. with 43 points, and Ma’aden with 40 points.

However, not all listed companies experienced gains in 2024. Saudi Aramco recorded a significant decline, losing 177 points on the index as its stock price dropped from SR140 to SR111.8. SNB Capital fell by 70 points, followed by SABIC with a 62-point decrease, Banque Saudi Fransi with 32 points, and Sahara International Petrochemical Co., or Sipchem, with 30 points.

The Kingdom’s initial public offering market also saw robust activity in 2024, with 14 IPOs raising SR14.21 billion ($3.7 billion), marking a 19 percent year-on-year increase.

Almoosa Health and Fakeeh Care Group led the IPO market in terms of size, with Fakeeh attracting the highest individual participation, drawing 1.34 million unique investors.

Despite overall success, individual subscriptions accounted for only 13 percent of the total IPO volume, amounting to SR1.94 billion.

Modern Mills Co. led in subscription coverage, achieving a rate of 21.9 times, while the average individual coverage for the year’s IPOs stood at 11.87 times.

The food production sector dominated IPO activity, contributing 26.9 percent of total listings in 2024, with successful debuts by companies such as Modern Mills, Al-Rabie, and Al Arabiya.

IPO valuations varied significantly, with an average price-to-earnings ratio of 34 times. United International Holding recorded the lowest P/E, while Nice One topped the charts with a P/E of 118 times, making it the year’s most expensive IPO.

Looking ahead, SNB Capital forecasts an 8 percent annual profit growth for companies listed on the Tadawul in 2025, with the petrochemical sector expected to lead the way with a 74 percent rise in profits.

RIYADH: Global economic growth is set to accelerate in 2025 as monetary easing, US resilience, and recoveries in Europe and China drive momentum, with Southeast Asian economies benefiting from positive spillovers.

The Qatar National Bank projects a 3.2 percent global growth rate, outpacing Bloomberg’s consensus of 3.1 percent, the state’s news agency QNA reported.

In its latest commentary, QNB anticipates growth in major economies, driven by controlled inflation, eased financial constraints, and policy adjustments by central banks. Emerging markets, specifically the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economies, are set to benefit from these advancements.

The report said that analysts have consistently underestimated global economic performance, as initial projections for 2023 and 2024 fell short of realized growth by 80 and 40 basis points, respectively.

“Analysts and economists have been proving to be over pessimistic when it comes to forecasting major economies and global growth in recent years,” reported QNA.

The national bank added: “In fact, over the last two years, initial expectations for growth were 80 basis points and 40 bps below realized growth in 2023 and 2024, respectively.”

It forecasts the US Federal Reserve to cut rates by 75 bps and the European Central Bank by 150 bps.

“This should support further investment and consumption growth, as credit becomes cheaper, new investment opportunities become more attractive, and the opportunity costs of spending decrease,” it added.

In the US, QNB predicts growth of 2.2 percent in 2025, down from 2.6 percent in 2024 but still above the long-term average of 2.3 percent.

“The US economy is expected to remain on a strong footing as labor markets are resilient, productivity is growing rapidly with fast technology adoption, and households have robust balance sheets with the strongest financial position in decades,” QNB said.

Europe and China are expected to recover from extended periods of stagnation. Growth in the European area is forecast to rise from 0.7 percent in 2024 to 1.0 percent in 2025, supported by lower energy prices and a rebound in global manufacturing demand.

China’s growth is projected to increase from 4.8 percent to 5.0 percent, driven by policy easing and renewed economic momentum.

Emerging Asian nations, particularly ASEAN economies, are set to benefit significantly. “Stronger growth in China is likely to be a significant tailwind to emerging Asia in general and ASEAN economies in particular,” QNB said.

The region’s five largest markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, are forecasted to grow by 5.2 percent in 2025, up from 4.4 percent in 2024.

“All in all, we expect to see a moderate acceleration of global growth in 2025, with significant monetary easing, a resilient US economy, a cyclical recovery in Europe and China, and positive spillovers to ASEAN economies,” QNB said.