MANAMA: Bahrain-based regional investment bank Securities and Investment Company (SICO) has maintained its leading position as the most active broker on the Bahrain Bourse, both in terms of volume and value of transactions executed, for the 13th consecutive year.

During 2011, SICO handled 32.45 per cent of all transactions on the Bahrain Bourse, 31.9pc by total market volume and 38.63pc by total value traded.

The bank also continued to be the preferred broker of choice for larger trades, and accounted for most of the larger transactions executed on the bourse during the year.

In June, SICO handled the buy-sell of 57.2 million shares of a leading Sharia-compliant financial institution with a total value of BD15.21m ($40.3m), together with the sale of 10m shares of a leading conventional bank worth BD2.72m.

Through its pioneering agency brokerage desk, SICO continued to enable clients to trade listed investment opportunities available across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, including access to the fixed income market.

Having established a significant share of overall GCC market trades, SICO is firmly placed among the leading brokers in the region.

"We are delighted to have maintained our leading position on the Bahrain Bourse for the 13th year running," said SICO chief executive Anthony C Mallis.

"As an increasing number of Bahraini, regional and foreign investors seek to access Gulf stock exchanges, SICO is ideally equipped with the right team, skills and knowledge to be able to execute and support clients' orders.

"The bank offers investors access to listed investment opportunities across the Mena region, where we continue to undertake some of the larger trades in those markets, discreetly and with great efficiency," he said.

"The performance of our brokerage business during 2011 reinforces the continued success of SICO's consistent strategy to focus on serving the GCC region, grow and diversify our business lines and revenue streams, pursue a best-of-class, client-focused business model and maintain a disciplined approach to managing our costs, risk and capital," he added.

"In line with our strategy to expand SICO's presence outside Bahrain in other GCC countries, SICO acquired a full shareholding of a brokerage licensed company in Abu Dhabi.

"SICO UAE is expected to resume its operation in the second quarter of 2012 following substantial investment in a new system and management team to deliver the highest quality of brokerage service and execution capability to its institutional clients throughout the UAE in the three principal stock exchanges," he said.