Capital Markets

It has been an interesting year for the Egyptian Exchange (EGX). In 2015 the main board featured the highest number of listed companies since 2010, while products such as the nation’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) provided a deeper market and new investment options. After years of crisis management in the wake of the 2011 revolution, the exchange authorities have re-established an outward-looking stance, adopting an aggressive promotional strategy aimed at attracting new, solid companies, as well as institutional and foreign investors. This is a long-term ambition, and the fluctuations of the main index over the year are a reminder of the extent to which regional and global economic conditions weigh on the domestic exchange. Still, with increased economic stability and a government development strategy more ambitious than anything seen in Egypt for decades, the EGX is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for investors both at home and abroad.

This chapter contains an interview with Mohamed Omran, CEO, Egyptian Exchange (EGX); and a viewpoint with Hussein Choucri, Chairman and Managing Director, HC Securities & Investment.