Gulf Markets Mixed: Muscat Rises Sharply, Qatar and Kuwait See Limited Declines

Riyadh | EcoPulse24

Gulf financial markets ended today's session with mixed results. Muscat's stock exchange recorded a strong rise, supported by active trading and higher liquidity. In contrast, Qatar and Kuwait's exchanges closed with limited declines amid selective investor movements and anticipation of regional and international economic developments.

In Qatar, the general index closed down by 11.71 points (0.11%) at 10,687.57 points, reflecting cautious trading and continued investment repositioning. Trading volume reached approximately 185.8 million shares valued at 455.9 million riyals across 26,979 transactions. The market remained active despite the slight index decline, with 26 companies' shares rising and 27 declining. Qatar's market capitalization slipped to around 635.2 billion riyals from 636.4 billion in the previous session, indicating marginal shifts in listed company values.

Kuwait's stock exchange ended down 30.12 points (0.35%) at 8,519.65. Total trading volume was about 130.3 million shares through 9,431 cash transactions, with a total value of 37.5 million Kuwaiti dinars (around $114.7 million). The main market index fell by 38.52 points (0.49%) to 7,848.58, while the premier market index dropped 29.86 points (0.33%) to 9,104.35. The "Main 50" index lost 53.24 points (0.65%) to 8,181.70, all amid robust trading activity.

Conversely, Muscat's stock exchange performed notably well, with the "Muscat 30" index climbing 150 points (2.03%) to 7,528.44, compared to 7,378.48 in the previous session. Trading value surged to 89.1 million Omani rials, up 26.4% from the previous session's 70.5 million. Muscat's market capitalization also rose by 1.076% to about 36.67 billion rials, reflecting improved investor sentiment.

In the Saudi market, several sectors saw positive performance. The main index rose to 11,007.19 points, while the parallel "Nomu" market increased to 22,610.31. Noteworthy sectoral gains included commercial and professional services (3,665.42), transport (4,396.58), long-term goods (3,382.43), and consumer services (3,231.99).

EcoPulse24 Analysis:
The mixed performance across Gulf markets highlights ongoing investor selectivity amid geopolitical tensions and global energy market volatility. Markets experiencing liquidity surges, such as Muscat, often benefit from short-term capital flows, while larger markets like Qatar and Kuwait tend to move more cautiously, with investors focusing on fundamentals and regional economic outlooks.