Business24-7 – Six months after their worst drawdown on record, regional stock markets are outperforming the Middle East and North Africa (Mena)-focused hedge funds, suggesting markets are once again warming up to equity participation.
According to Emirates Business research, Mena markets have posted gains of 9.73 per cent on average, beating the 10 region-focused hedge funds, which have posted returns of 4.4 per cent since the beginning of this year.
Even the GCC markets, battered by their exposure to relatively lower oil prices and global economic environment, have turned in a marginally better performance, at 4.42 per cent, suggesting that risk appetite among investors in the regional markets is on the upswing.