Saturday 08 / November / 2025
Muscat: The main index of the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) declined by 66 points at the end of the trading session on Thursday amid profit-taking by local investment funds and institutions. They reduced their purchases during the week leading the main index and sectoral indices to decline after five weeks of continuous gains, during which the main index managed to achieve gains of more than 500 points.
The main index closed at 5,544 points at the end of the week's trading. The financial sector index recorded a decline of 153 points, with bank stocks and a number of leading investment companies declining. The industrial sector index also lost 23 points while the services sector index fell by 13 points. However, the Sharia index managed to record an increase of about 4 points and closed at 475 points.
Local investment funds and institutions were net sellers with sales accounting for 75.1 percent of total trading value compared to purchases of 69 percent while individual Omani investors were net buyers, with purchases accounting for 21.1 percent of total trading value compared to sales of 15.9 percent.
The Muscat Stock Exchange witnessed a decline of 34 percent in trading value and 16.8 percent in the total number of transactions executed during the week, affected by a decline in purchases by local investment funds and institutions. Trading value fell to OMR178.8 million during the week compared to OMR271.1 million in the week before. The number of transactions executed decreased from more than 39,000 to 32,628 transactions.
Trading was concentrated on shares of Bank Muscat, Bank Sohar International, OQ Basic Industries, OQ Exploration and Production, and Asyad Shipping, which together saw trading worth OMR137.8 million, representing 77 percent of the total trading value.
The Muscat Stock Exchange also recorded a decline in the prices of 40 securities compared to 26 securities whose prices rose.
However, the declines did not affect the total market capitalisation of the Muscat Stock Exchange, which maintained its previous level at OMR31.32 billion benefiting from the listing of the 77th issue of government development bonds (GDBs) worth OMR100 million.
The week also saw the launch of the promising companies market, and Bawariq Nizwa Company was listed as the first company to be listed on the market with a capital of OMR1.956 million and the company’s share was valued at 141 baisa.
The Financial Centre Company (Fincorp) shares led the gainers, rising by 16.6 percent and closing at 42 baisa, Al Maha Ceramics shares rose to 290 baisa, recording a rise of 9 percent, and Oman Refreshments shares rose by 8.9 percent and closed at OMR1.49.
The International Financial Investments Holding Company's stock led the losing stocks, declining by 10.8 percent and closing at 156 baisa. Barka Desalination Company's stock declined by 4.7 percent and closed at 142 baisa, and Al Anwar Investments' stock fell to 105 baisa, recording a decline of 4.5 percent.
