Where Did All The Money Go? Private equity, investment banking and asset management in Arabia

With the recent collapse of most of the Gulfs region private equity houses, why has the Islamic banking industry failed to develop a credible mutual funds industry after seven or eight years of rapid growth in alternative investments?... Read More

Islamic Private Equity Funds: LEGAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES

With funds investing in a Shari'ah-compliant manner increasingly looking beyond the Islamic world to explore global investment opportunities, this report by Decherts Private Equity Group outlines demands that managers of Islamic private equity funds, investing outside the Middle East region, have to deal with. ... Read More

Fears of a double-dip economy: DOW JONES ISLAMIC MARKET INDEXES IN MAY

The Dow Jones Islamic Market (DJIM) Indexes posted losses across the board in May. Only two composites gained territory (as of the close of trading on May 25): the DJIM Amana Sri Lanka Index (up 1.30%, closing at 1,766.82 points) and the Dow Jones Citigroup Sukuk Index (1% higher at 120.21 points). The latter index measures the performance of dollar-dominated Islamic Bonds with investment grade.... Read More

May Performance: DOW JONES ISLAMIC MARKET SHOW LOSS

Based on the close of trading on May 25, the global Dow Jones Islamic Market Titans 100 Index, which measures the performance of 100 of the leading Shari'ah compliant stocks globally, dropped 11.70% month-to-date, closing at 1869.50. In comparison, the Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index, which measures the 50 biggest companies worldwide, posted a loss of 12.24%, month-to-date closing at 150.37.... Read More

The Malaysian Approach: CURRENT STATE OF ISLAMIC FINANCE

With rising interest in Islamic finance worldwide, today, Malaysia is recognized as the leader among Islamic financial institutions for its comprehensive and systematic approach. Any country interested in developing a market for Islamic finance can learn from the vast experience of Malaysia and its dual-banking model with conventional and Islamic finance operating side-by-side with separate... Read More

A New Horizon: EXPORTING ISLAMIC BANKING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

The Islamic Banking market is one of the most powerful sectors of the banking market in the todays world, with a majority of the estimated $700 billion in assets of Islamic banks concentrated in the Middle Eastern region. However, the industry has also started to gain momentum outside of the Middle East, as more and more financial institutions are beginning to introduce Shari'ah-compliant banking... Read More

Interview With: ABDI SHAYESTEH OF KING & SPALDING

If Islamic finance is utilized properly, it can be a means for proliferating the integration of Muslim countries with the global economy, as well as accelerating the economic development of ME countries.... Read More

A Canadian Experience: MULTICULTURAL BANKS VERSUS ISLAMIC BANKS

After more than five years of retailing Islamic financial products in Canada, UM Financial has come across members of other faith groups who were also interested in usury-free products and ethical filters. Based on this experience, UM Financial began exploring the unified concept of a multicultural bank. This concept, based on the principles of usury-free and ethical finance... Read More

Looking Down Under: Opportunity for Islamic Investment In Australia

The credit crisis laid bare several long-standing tenets of the investment business, including that market prices are largely efficient, established markets are better regulated, and the biggest economies offer less risk. While elements of these issues remain true, we still face disjointed financial markets generating incoherent answers to routine questions... Read More

By the Numbers: Comprehensive Study Sheds Light On Islamic Mutual Fund Performance

Islamic finances stable performance in the world markets in the recent past has shown that it can be a viable addition to conventional finance and possesses the potential to develop as an alternative in the near future. The entire conventional finance industry has experienced severe financial distress due to excessive risk taking in the pursuit of profit maximisation and complex financial... Read More

Entering Asia: Shari'ah Equity Portfolios And Emerging Markets

Wikipedia gives a practical definition to emerging markets: Emerging markets are nations with social or business activity in the process of rapid growth and industrialisation. Currently, there are approximately 28 emerging markets in the world, with the economies of China and India considered to be by far the two largest.... Read More

The Struggle Continues: Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes In January

According to the old traders bon mot, As January goes, so goes the year. The stock market performance of the first four weeks is supposed to give us an idea of how indices will develop throughout the entire year. If this theory holds, then 2010 will be a mixed and volatile period which will not mark the long-expected recovery... Read More

Bucking the Trend: GCC Takaful Industry Report Points To Healthy Growth

Alpen Capital (ME) Limited recently published a GCC Takaful Industry Report, which focuses on the opportunities and challenges for growth of the takaful industry, industry trends, financial performance, valuations, stock liquidity and governance and transparency... Read More

Member Login