A total of 65 companies licensed by the Capital Markets Authority—excluding banks—recorded combined assets of approximately 4.935 billion dinars by the end of the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a decline of about 50 million dinars, or 1 percent, compared to the end of 2025.
These licensed entities include custodians, market makers, securities brokers, portfolio managers, and investment advisors, forming a key component of Kuwait’s financial and investment ecosystem.
Traditional companies accounted for the largest share of assets, totaling 3.611 billion dinars or 73.2 percent, while Islamic companies held around 1.324 billion dinars, or 26.8 percent.
Data from the authority showed that non-current assets stood at 2.691 billion dinars, representing 54.5 percent of total assets, down 1.7 percent from December 2025. Current assets amounted to 2.244 billion dinars, representing 45.5 percent, with a slight decline of 0.1 percent, reports Al-Rai daily.
Among non-current assets, investments in associates led at 711.7 million dinars, followed by investment properties at 538.6 million dinars, and financial assets measured at fair value at 786.3 million dinars. On the current side, financial assets at fair value through profit or loss topped the list at 926.7 million dinars, while cash and cash equivalents reached 438.7 million dinars.
Shareholders’ equity stood at 3.503 billion dinars, down 171 million dinars, or 4.7 percent, and representing around 71 percent of total funding sources. This included reserves of 809.6 million dinars and issued capital of 1.54 billion dinars.
Total liabilities increased to 1.433 billion dinars, up 121 million dinars or 9.2 percent since the end of 2025. Current liabilities reached 776.3 million dinars, while non-current liabilities stood at 656.4 million dinars. Loans remained the dominant component, totaling approximately 977.8 million dinars.
On the income side, total revenues for the sector fell to 117.7 million dinars in the first quarter, down 29.8 percent compared to the same period in 2025. Fee and commission income remained the main source at 71.1 million dinars, followed by financing income of 13 million dinars.
The sector also recorded net losses of 25.9 million dinars from revaluation of financial assets measured at fair value, adding pressure on profitability.
Total expenses reached 73.3 million dinars, down 8.9 percent year-on-year. Employee costs accounted for the largest share at 35.8 million dinars, followed by general and administrative expenses at 16.7 million dinars, and depreciation and amortization at 11.5 million dinars.
Despite generating a gross profit of 44.3 million dinars, net profit settled at 40.6 million dinars after deductions, including contributions to the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, zakat, taxes, and board remuneration.
However, overall performance remained under pressure, as the sector posted a negative comprehensive income of 38.9 million dinars, compared with a positive 138 million dinars in the same period last year, highlighting increased volatility across Kuwait’s licensed investment firms.
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