MUSCAT: The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) recorded a positive performance last week at the start of trading in 2025, with local investment institutions actively purchasing and absorbing selling pressures from individuals.
The main index of MSX rose by 105 points last week, closing at 4,573 points, benefiting from the support of leading companies and the decline in pressures faced by the market in the past three months. Investors are also seizing available opportunities ahead of the initial financial results announcements of public joint-stock companies starting this week.
Last week, the prices of 56 securities increased, while 16 securities saw their prices decline, and another 16 securities remained unchanged. This positive performance led to gains in the sectoral indices of the market. The financial sector index recorded the highest gains, rising by 292 points, approaching the 7,800-point mark. The industrial sector index increased by approximately 138 points, while the services sector index rose by 23 points. The Shariah index added 16 points, closing weekly trading at 422 points.
The price increases recorded by stocks last week reflected positively on the market capitalisation of the MSX, which rose by the end of last week’s trading to RO 27.59 billion, registering weekly gains of RO 267.6 million.
Trading data released by the MSX showed that local investment institutions increased their purchases, accounting for 62.5 per cent of the total trading value, compared to 49.9 per cent in sales. Meanwhile, individual investors tended to sell, accounting for 46.3 per cent of the total trading value.
Last week also saw a decrease in trading value, as individual investors sought to reduce their selling offers in anticipation of further improvement in stock prices in the coming weeks. There are optimistic expectations that public joint-stock companies will raise their dividends to shareholders during this year. Trading value declined by 7.7 per cent, from RO 26.8 million to RO 24.7 million, while the number of executed transactions fell by 21.7 per cent, from about 7,800 to 6,107 transactions.
OQ Exploration and Production topped the most traded companies in terms of trading value, with RO 5.3 million, representing 21.6 per cent of total trading value. OQ Basic Industries came second with RO 4.7 million, while Bank Muscat's first-class perpetual bonds came third with RO 2.6 million. Bank Sohar International ranked fourth with RO 2.5 million, while Bank Muscat came fifth with RO 1.8 million.
The most notable increases in securities were recorded by the National Bank of Oman’s convertible bonds issued in 2024, which rose by 19.5 per cent and closed at 110 baisas. Oman Investment and Finance’s share rose to 95 baisas, a 18.7-per cent increase. Anwar Ceramic Tiles rose by 18.6 per cent, closing at 108 baisas, and Takaful Oman Insurance rose by 17.9 per cent, closing at 46 baisas. Dhofar Insurance’s share increased to 235 baisas, up 15.7 per cent.
On the losing side, Gulf Engineering and Contracting Company saw its share drop by 6 per cent, closing at 78 baisas. Oman Oil Marketing Company’s share fell to 740 baisas, down 5.1 per cent. Al Jazeera Services' share dropped by 4.3 per cent, closing at 200 baisas, while Al Maha Oil Products Marketing Company’s share fell by 3.6 per cent, closing at RO 1.41. Liva Group’s share dropped to 320 baisas, down 3 per cent. — ONA
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