Sana'a: The main index of the Muscat Stock Exchange fell 66 points last week amid profit-taking by local investment funds and institutions, which reduced their purchases during the week. This led the main index and sectoral indices to decline after five consecutive weeks of gains, during which the main index managed to achieve gains of more than 500 points. According to Yemen News Agency, the main index closed at 5,544 points at the end of last week's trading. The financial sector index fell 153 points due to a decline in the shares of banks and a number of leading investment companies. The industrial sector index lost 23 points, and the services sector index fell 13 points, while the Sharia index managed to register a gain of approximately 4 points, closing at 475 points. The agency reported that Omani investment funds and institutions tended to sell last week, with their sales accounting for 75.1 percent of the total trading value compared to purchases of 69 percent. Meanwhile, individual Omani investors tended to buy, with their purchases accounting for 21.1 percent of the total trading value compared to sales of 15.9 percent. The Muscat Stock Exchange witnessed a 34 percent decrease in trading value and a 16.8 percent decrease in the total number of executed transactions last week, affected by the decline in purchases by local investment funds and institutions. Trading value last week decreased to 178.8 million Omani rials compared to 271.1 million Omani rials the previous week, and the number of executed transactions fell from over 39,000 to 32,628. Trading last week focused on the shares of Bank Muscat, Sohar International Bank, OQ Basic Industries, OQ Exploration and Production, and Asyad Shipping, which together accounted for 137.8 million Omani rials, representing 77 percent of the total trading value. During the past week, the Muscat Stock Exchange recorded a decline in the prices of 40 securities, while 26 securities saw their prices rise. However, these declines did not affect the overall market capitalization of the Muscat Stock Exchange, which maintained its previous level of 31.327 billion Omani rials, benefiting from the listing of the 77th issue of government development bonds worth 100 million Omani rials. Last week also witnessed the launch of the Promising Companies Market, with Bawariq Nizwa Company becoming the first company to be listed on the market with a capital of 1,956,000 Omani rials. The company's share was valued at 141 baisas. The shares of Financial Center Company (Fincorp) topped the list of gainers, rising by 16.6 percent and closing at 42 baisas. Al Maha Ceramics shares rose to 290 baisas, registering a 9 percent increase, and Oman Refreshments shares increased by 8.9 percent, closing at 1.492 Omani rials. International Financial Investments Holding stock led the losing stocks, falling by 10.8 percent and closing at 156 baisa. Barka Water Desalination stock fell by 4.7 percent, closing at 142 baisa, and Al Anwar Investments stock dropped to 105 baisa, registering a decrease of 4.5 percent.
Friday, August 14, 2026