Boursa Kuwait said it earned KD 5.99 million in the first quarter of 2026, as the exchange described its performance as evidence that the market could absorb a period of regional upheaval without losing operational momentum.

According to the company, revenue for the three months to 31 March came in at KD 10.15 million, while operating profit reached KD 7.31 million and earnings per share were 29.82 fils. Total assets stood at about KD 145.24 million and equity attributable to parent shareholders was KD 85.26 million at the end of March.

Chairman Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi said the result reflected the exchange’s business model and its control of costs, adding that Kuwait’s market structure has been strengthened by reforms and infrastructure investment. He said the All-Share Index fell 1.82% in March, which the company said was the mildest monthly decline in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as the market remained comparatively stable during the escalation in regional tensions.

The exchange also pointed to a change in the make-up of trading. International investors, including GCC nationals, accounted for 21.60% of total market trading in the quarter, while institutional investors represented 73.28%. Boursa Kuwait said that deeper institutional participation and a broader investor base were helping improve pricing efficiency and reduce volatility.

Chief executive Mohammed Saud Al-Osaimi said trading remained steady in the quarter, with total traded value of KD 3.72 billion and average daily value of KD 66.44 million. He said foreign trade confirmations rose 30.38% from a year earlier, while the exchange continued its market development programme and secured the approvals needed to launch bonds and sukuk trading in early April.

That fixed-income platform marks a notable shift for the Kuwaiti market, which Boursa Kuwait said is moving beyond an equity-only model. The company also said it has completed technical and operational testing for exchange-traded funds, though regulatory approval is still pending, and is upgrading its trading systems to support a future derivatives market.

The first quarter also included the listing of Trolley General Trading Company on the Premier Market, taking the total number of listed companies to 141. Boursa Kuwait said the listing, alongside annual segment reviews that promoted additional companies to the Premier Market, reinforced confidence in the market’s depth and liquidity even as the region faced geopolitical strain.

Source Reference Map

Inspired by headline at: [1]

Sources by paragraph:

Source: Noah Wire Services