Sukuk bond market: mixed signals

The development of the sukuk market is sending mixed signals. On the one hand, issuance of sukuk in the last year has attracted not just Islamic but conventional investors by the yield, diversification and risk profile. Many deals were innovative, enjoyed popularity and performed well in the aftermarket. On the other hand, the market remained utterly dominated by domestic transactions, and there are still mixed reports about liquidity, both in domestic and cross-border markets. Although sukuks still don’t trade with anything like the volume common in conventional markets, a record year for global sukuk issuance is expected.