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Our Structured Finance team continues to be the only issuer of options on stocks in Kuwait and we will continue our drive to expanding our derivatives capability regionally. We consider Structured Finance a key strategic capability, which enables us to provide our clients creative financing solutions, and our investors structured investments with capital protection.
Markaz organized several educational programs to help investors and traders get familiar with the benefits and risks of trading equity options. Markaz is firmly committed to build on its experience in the derivatives field towards the development of KSE ETO trading framework whereby investors can buy and sell American call and put options during the spot market hours.
Mechanism for Trading Options
In 2001, Markaz proposed to Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) to establish a framework for trading equity options in Kuwait. Markaz retained options experts to conduct extensive studies using historical data to measure the risks resulting from options trading. After analyzing international best practices, the characteristics of the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), the nature of risks and the needs of investors, Markaz suggested a mechanism for option trading in KSE.
Structuring Forsa Fund
In November 2003, Markaz was granted the approval to write option contracts; and immediately thereafter launched Forsa Fund which is the Middle East’s First Derivative Fund created to provide Markaz clients unique investment opportunities and contribute towards the development of the Kuwaiti capital market.
Introducing Call Options
Markaz developed the option trading system running at KSE. Testing and measurement of this system were made continuously until March 2005 whereby Forsa Fund started writing standardized and tradable Call options on a group of listed stocks for the first time in KSE. Forsa Fund provides liquidity to all the option contracts by offering daily Ask/Bid prices.
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