Aeronautics

Morocco's aeronautics industry is booming. In its 8pm news broadcast on Sunday, January 5th, TF1 television network aired a long report on the sector's growth in the Kingdom, Airbus reported in a press release sent Tuesday. The report, which describes Morocco as the "rear base of French aeronautical construction," highlighted Airbus's Casablanca manufacturing workshops and the record orders received by the aeronautical group. The company also points out that all Airbus planes delivered worldwide fly with parts manufactured in Morocco. A key sector of the local economy, the aeronautics industry employs 10,000 people in Morocco and plans to double the number of companies in the sector by 2020, creating 20,000 jobs.

DTFE

The Directorate of Treasury and External Finance (DTFE), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, launched a treasury surplus placement operation on Monday for 5.3 billion dirhams (MMDH). This is a repurchase agreement for a one-day period at a weighted average rate of 2.73%, according to a DTEF press release published on the ministry's website. The maturity date of this placement is set for January 7, 2014.

RADEEF

The Autonomous Water and Electricity Distribution Agency of Fes (RADEEF) announced a budget of 1.4 billion DH for the 2014-2018 period, including 229 million DH for 2014 (86 million DH for drinking water and electricity and 57 million DH for sanitation). Furthermore, 2013 saw the completion of the wastewater treatment plant, with a total cost estimated at 1.1 billion dirhams.

Stock Market

$61.975 billion. According to Bloomberg, this was the world's stock market capitalization at the end of 2013. A new record compared to $60 billion in 2007... and more than double the value of all listed companies worldwide exactly 10 years ago. In 2013, market capitalization jumped by 18.16%, driven by the rise of major global stock markets such as the United States (+29.6% for the S&P 500), France (+18%), Germany (+25%), the United Kingdom (+14%) and Japan (+57%), but also by the strong return of initial public offerings (IPOs) (Twitter, Royal Mail, Tarkett...), since in 2013, 864 companies conducted an IPO, raising about $163 billion (+30% year-on-year), according to Ernst & Young. In 2013, the 8 largest listed companies in the world were American, two more than last year.

Libé.

Published January 9, 2014.

Posted online January 13, 2014.