Muscat: In a retail dominated trading session, the MSM30 Index inched up 0.07 per cent to close at 5,820.34 points. The MSM Sharia Index gained 0.05 per cent to finish at 895.61 points. Al Izz Bank was the most active in terms of volume while National Gas was the most active in terms of turnover. Monday’s top gainer was Oman United Insurance, up 5.51 per cent, while the top loser was Al Jazeera Steel, with a loss of 2.61 per cent.
A total number of 661 trades were executed on Monday, generating turnover of OMR2.3 million with 10.5 million shares changing hands. Out of 40 traded securities, 14 advanced, 6 declined and 20 remained unchanged. At the session close, foreign investors were net buyers for OMR95,000 followed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR20,000 while Omani investors switched to net sellers for OMR115,000 worth of shares.
Financial Index had strong gain of 0.43 per cent to end at 7,337.96 points. Oman United Insurance, Al Madina Investments, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Izz Bank and Oman & Emirates Holding gained 5.51 per cent, 3.28 per cent, 2.84 per cent, 1.67 per cent and 1.47 per cent respectively. Al Madina Takaful, Bank Nizwa and Bank Muscat declined 1.33 per cent, 1.27 per cent and 0.53 per cent respectively.
Industrial Index advanced 0.17 per cent to finish at 7,484.11 points. Gulf International Chemicals, Voltamp Energy, Galfar Engineering, Raysut Cement and Al Maha Ceramics gained 1.98 per cent, 1.85 per cent, 0.92 per cent, 0.75 per cent and 0.43 per cent respectively. Al Jazeera Steel, down 2.61 per cent, was the only sector loser.
Services Index ended negatively at 3,250.48 points, down 0.10 per cent. National Gas, Omantel and Al Jazeera Services increased 2.75 per cent, 0.61 per cent and 0.47 per cent respectively. Renaissance Services and Al Maha Petroleum declined 2.32 per cent and 0.33 per cent respectively.
Emerging markets
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 1.7 per cent to 842.5 at 12:51pm in London, its third day of advances. The gauge has climbed 6 per cent this year and trades at 11.9 times its projected 12-month earnings. The MSCI World Index is up 0.4 per cent in 2016 and is valued at a multiple of 15.9.
All 10 industry groups in the developing-nations stock measure gained, led by technology and industrial companies. Taiwan Semiconductor climbed 3.3 per cent in Taipei, while Samsung Electronics Co. advanced to a 15-month high in Seoul.
Poland’s WIG 20 advanced 1.7 per cent as Enea gained 4.9 per cent. Markets in the Gulf states reopened after the Eid holiday with a gauge of shares in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries gaining 0.4 per cent, near two-month high. Markets in the Czech Republic, South Africa and Egypt rose at least 0.5 per cent.
Russia’s Micex Index gained 0.7 per cent in Moscow, with Alrosa jumping the most in three weeks after the government raised $816 million from the sale of a stake in the world’s largest diamond miner.
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index jumped 2 per cent after sliding 2 per cent last week. The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.2 per cent on Monday. China’s factory-gate deflation eased for the sixth straight month in June, adding to evidence that falling prices have turned a corner after more than four years of declines.
The S&P Sensex Index surged 1.7 per cent in India, poised for the highest close since Aug. 20. Indian shares have rallied from a low reached in February as foreigners snapped up shares at the fastest pace in four years. Thailand’s SET Index closed at the highest level since July 2015, shy of a 20 per cent rallies from recent lows that would indicate a bull market. Equity gauges in Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea rallied at least 1.2 per cent.