Lillian Tower being constructed in Business Bay by Arabtec. The company's shares rose dramatically this week. Antonie Robertson / The National
Lillian Tower being constructed in Business Bay by Arabtec. The company's shares rose dramatically this week. Antonie Robertson / The National
Lillian Tower being constructed in Business Bay by Arabtec. The company's shares rose dramatically this week. Antonie Robertson / The National
Lillian Tower being constructed in Business Bay by Arabtec. The company's shares rose dramatically this week. Antonie Robertson / The National

Arabtec shares record best week in more than seven years


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Arabtec shares rebounded yesterday, capping the stock’s best week in more than seven years.

The construction firm’s shares, which at one point plummeted 20 per cent on Wednesday afternoon following a “sell” note from EFG Hermes, the yesterday rose by as much as 11 per cent, before settling 8 per cent higher at Dh1.62.

“We were surprised because we expected it to fall further today,” said Khaldoun Jaradat, a trading manager at Brokerage House Securities in Dubai.

“Many of our clients who sold [on Wednesday afternoon] didn’t close their entire positions, they obviously think the rally’s not done yet.”

Arabtec surged 42 per cent for the week, its best weekly performance since February 2009, with both local and foreign investors piling into the stock on speculation that the former chief executive Hasan Ismaik was increasing his stake in the company.

Mr Ismaik, who cut his shareholding in the months following his abrupt departure in July 2014, this week raised his stake in the company to 11.91 per cent from 11.81 per cent previously.

EFG said on Wednesday that the recent rally in Arabtec was not supported by the fundamentals of the company or the construction sector as a whole.

Investors have paid little heed to such warnings, however, with an unprecedented 1.9 billion shares in the firm changing hands during the week.

Shares in Dubai Financial Market and Damac were among the other gainers on the Dubai Financial Market General Index yesterday, which gained 0.7 per cent to 3,250.22.

In the capital, Etisalat closed up 2.5 per cent at a fresh 11-year high of Dh18.10, on news that the telco’s stock will be included in the FTSE Global Equity Index Series.

Etisalat’s inclusion in the index, scheduled to take place after the close of business on March 18, will result in inflows of about $216 million into the stock from various index trackers, according to EFG Hermes.

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange General Index rose 0.9 per cent to 4,420.51, on gains in banking sector shares.

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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do

Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.

“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”

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Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.

“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”

For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.

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ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

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All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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