Islamic Bonds
Islamic Finance Trends
Estimates vary of the size and growth rates of assets held internationally under Islamic finance, but suggest that Islamic finance is a rapidly growing industry. While it represents a small proportion of the global finance market (estimated at 1%-5% of global share), the Islamic finance industry has experienced double-digit rates of growth annually in recent years (estimated at 10%-20% annual growth).Industry experts estimate that assets held under Islamic finance management doubled between 2007 and 2010 to reach around $1 trillion.
A survey of the top 500 Islamic financial institutions shows that shariah-compliant assets in these institutions rose from $822 billion in 2009 to $895 billion in 2010. In 2010, 18 new banks offering SCF entered the market and six conventional banks started providing SCF via “Islamic.
Sukuk Secondary Market
Sukuk securities tend to be bought and held and, as a result, little of the securities enter the secondary market (allowing them to be traded). Furthermore, only public Sukuk are able to enter this market, as they are listed on stock exchanges,
Sukuk can be structured alongside different techniques, while a conventional bond is a promise to repay a loan, Sukuk constitutes partial ownership in a debt (Sukuk Murabaha), asset (Sukuk Al Ijara), project (Sukuk Al Istisna), business (Sukuk Al Musharaka), or investment (Sukuk Al Istithmar).
Most commonly used Sukuk structures replicate the cash flows of conventional bonds. Such structures are listed on exchanges, commonly Luxembourg Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange in Europe, and made tradable through conventional organizations like Euroclear or Clearstream.
A key technique to achieve capital protection without amounting to a loan is a binding promise to repurchase certain assets, e.g. in the case of Sukuk Al Ijara, by the issuer. In the meantime a rent is being paid, which is often benchmarked to an interest rate like LIBOR (which is disliked by Sharia Scholars).
From a Sharia perspective, certificates of debt are not tradable (although a different view is held by many in Malaysia), the most accepted structure, which is tradable, is thereafter the Sukuk Al Ijara. Debt certificates can be only bought before the finance occurs and then held to maturity from an Islamic perspective, which is critical on debt trading at market value regarding any difference to be like the prohibited Riba (interest on money).
Finance Windows Global Financial Crisis
Internationally, Islamic banks appear to have been more resilient to the primary effects of the global economic turndown and international financial crisis than conventional banks.
They tend to avoid the speculative investments, such as derivatives, that many analysts believe led to the financial crisis affecting conventional banks. For some observers, Islamic finance serves as a vehicle for recovering from the international financial crisis. The Islamic banking industry may be able to strengthen its position in the international market as investors and companies seek alternate sources of financing.
However, as Islamic banks operate within a global financial system, they have not been completely insulated from the recent economic and financial shocks. For instance, on the one hand, the Islamic financial industry is considered by many to be less risky because financial transactions are backed by physical assets. On the other hand, Islamic banks may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the mortgage market, given their high activity in the real estates
