Abu Dhabi bourse best Arab stock in first Quarter of 2013

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange General Index (ADXGI) has increased by 14.975 in the first quarter of this year, representing the highest increase among all Arab stock markets. The ADXGI increased on Sunday by 0.25 percent, closing higher at 3,025.33 points. The index in Abu Dhabi is followed by the Kuwait Stock Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market. "We expect from stocks in the emerging markets to perform better than their peers in the developed world this year, as the bond market reduced the return potential of fixed income," said Mark McFarland, the chief investment strategist at bank Emirates NBD in Dubai. He noted that demand for oil and gas will remain strong, fueled by ample demand from emerging countries like the BRICS. The ADXGI increase in the first quarter was mostly driven by banking stocks, and real estate shares, as Abu Dhabi's two major developers Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate agreed to merge into a giant company with assets that worth 47 billion Dirham (12. 8 billion U.S. dollars).