The Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) saw its trading value fall from about $3.4 million in 2013 to just over $3 million last year and its trading volume drop from about 2.2 million shares to less than 1.8 million over the same period, according to CSX spokesman Lamun Soleil.
Mr. Soleil conceded that the numbers indicated waning interest in the country’s stock market.
“But we had an increase in the number of new accounts, which means [investors] are keeping faith in the market, looking forward to what it could provide for them in the future,” he said, adding that some people who have opened accounts were not actively trading stocks.
According to CSX, the number of trading accounts increased by 14 percent between 2013 and last year.
Srey Chanthy, an independent economist, was less optimistic than the spokesman.
He said the falling numbers suggested that the two companies currently listed on the CSX—the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Grand Twins International garment factory—were faring poorly.
“If the trend continues for too long, they will need to restructure, improve management or downsize,” Mr. Chanthy said, adding that the figures could potentially scare off international investors who might falsely assume they reflect a bad business environment in the country.
