Palestinian bourse index down 10% in 2014 due to political tensions

The main index of the Palestinian stock exchange has declined by 10 percent in 2014 due to political tensions and the latest war on Gaza.
Ahmed Awaida, CEO of the Palestinian bourse, also blamed the decline on the current stalemate in peace talks with Israel.
Indeed, trading slightly improved during 2014, increasing to a daily $1.5 million from a daily $1.4 million in 2013, Awaida told MENA correspondent in Ramallah, noting however that this did not continue through the fourth quarter of the year.
About 43 percent of shares traded on the Palestinian market are owned by foreigners, mainly from Jordan, the Gulf region, Europe and the US, as well as Palestinian expats, Awaida said.
Palestinians residing in the occupied territories own the remaining 57 percent of the shares, he added.