Muscat bourse falls to five-month low on selling pressure

MUSCAT: Local institutional selling dragged the MSM30 Index to its lowest level in five months to close at 5,674.70 points, down by 0.90 per cent.

The MSM Sharia Index declined by 0.13 per cent to close at 873.30 points.

Bank Nizwa was the most active in terms of volume, while Bank Muscat led in turnover.

Bank Nizwa was the day’s top gainer on Sunday, an increase of 1.30 per cent, while Al Hassan Engineering was the top loser, down by 2.84 per cent.

As many as 465 trades were executed on Sunday, generating turnover of OMR2.69 million with 9.63 million shares changing hands. Out of 39 traded securities, three advanced, 21 declined and 15 remained unchanged.

Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR14,000 worth of shares followed by Omani investors at OMR1,000 while foreign investors, who were net sellers, sold stocks amounting to OMR15,000.

Financial sector

Financial Index had strong loss of 1.01 per cent to end at 7,302.49 points. Bank Nizwa and Bank Muscat gained 1.30 per cent and 0.50 per cent, respectively. National Bank of Oman, BankDhofar, Bank Sohar, Al Batinah Investment Holding and Ominvest declined by 2.94 per cent, 2.65 per cent, 2.34 per cent, 2.22 per cent and 1.85 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 7,425.51 points, down by 0.24 per cent. Gulf International Chemicals, up by 0.75 per cent was the only sector gainer. Al Hassan Engineering, Oman Fisheries, Voltamp Energy and Raysut Cement declined by 4.17 per cent, 3.13 per cent, 0.88 per cent and 0.66 per cent, respectively.

Services Index retreated by 0.73 per cent to close at 3,086.01 points. Pheonix Power, Ooredoo Oman, Sembcorp Salalah, Oman Investment and Finance Company and Al Suwadi Power fell by 2.05 per cent, 1.71 per cent, 1.64 per cent, 1.52 per cent and 0.50 per cent, respectively.