Is the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) overdue for a correction?The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI), which tracks the performance of all stock listed on The Tadawul, has recorded a 30.34% increase since the beginning of 2021.
However, the TASI is sitting at a peak level, which appears to be a repetition of the previous boom and bust cycle. The TASI was in a comparable position in late 2014 and late 2007, before wiping out more than half its value over the proceeding months. If past performance is any indicator, the TASI might be overdue a correction.
About the Tawadul
The Tadawul (TADAWUL) is the only licensed Stock Exchange in Saudi Arabia, the largest Stock Exchange in the Middle East, and the twelfth largest in the world by market capitalisation. According to Statista, The aggregate market cap of the 200 companies listed on The Tadawul is approximately US $2.6 trillion (July of 2021).
Contributing to an outsized portion of The Tadawul’s market capitalisation is Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL: 2222), the fourth-largest company in the world (market cap as of Sept 2021, US ~$1.9 trillion). Perhaps unsurprisingly, a vast swath of the listings on The Tadawul are companies concerned with crude oil and chemical products. Saudi Basic Industries (TADAWUL: 2010) is the Exchange’s second-largest listing, with a comparatively modest market capitalisation of US $99 billion.
Financial institutions and banking groups help to diversify the offerings of the Stock Exchange. The Exchange’s former largest listings, Al Rajhi Banking & Investment (TADAWUL: 1120) and Saudi National Bank (TADAWUL: 1180 ), are currently the third and fourth largest with market caps between US $70 and US $80 billion.
