New investor registrations exceed the whole of 2025 by 84%, but a sharp October sell-off highlights the challenge of sustaining market liquidity.
CAIRO, The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) has attracted more than 550,000 new investors since the start of 2026, approximately 84% above the 299,000 registered throughout 2025, as a sharp market correction and heavy foreign selling test the resilience of Egypt’s expanding investor base.
EGX Chairman Omar Radwan highlighted the growth at the ConFEAS 2026 conference in Muscat, reporting that 79% of new investors were aged 18–45.
He said listed companies’ market capitalisation had reached $80.3 billion, while average daily trading value had increased 2.4-fold to more than $191 million.
Separately, Radwan said in September that average daily equity trading had risen to approximately EGP10 billion, compared with EGP3.5 billion in 2025.
Investor Growth Meets Selling Pressure
The increase in registrations and trading activity signals broader market participation, supported by expanding digital access.
However, newly registered investors are not necessarily active traders, and rising turnover does not guarantee sustained demand.
On October 18, EGX30 fell 2.63% to 50,896.19 points, while the smaller-stock EGX70 plunged 6.58% to 17,265.74.
Listed companies lost approximately EGP159 billion in market value, with foreign investors recording net sales of EGP5.562 billion, according to Arab Finance.
Egyptian and Arab investors were net buyers, but their purchases were insufficient to prevent widespread declines.
Digital Growth Faces a Liquidity Test
At ConFEAS, Radwan identified financial technology and trading-system upgrades as priorities for attracting investors and strengthening market access.
Egyptian institutions also secured three regional awards, with the National Bank of Egypt winning gold in fixed income, Banque Misr bronze in the same category and Thndr Securities bronze in equities.
The awards underline the regional standing of Egyptian financial institutions, although they do not measure the activity of newly registered investors.
Egypt’s expanding investor base and rising trading values demonstrate stronger market participation. October’s correction, however, shows that attracting new investors and maintaining liquidity during heavy selling remain two distinct challenges.
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