Moroccan equities closed in negative territory on Friday, with sector weaknesses in Utilities, Banking and Mining pushing the benchmark lower.
At the close in Casablanca, the Moroccan All Shares index was down 1.27%.
The session's strongest performers on the Moroccan All Shares included Douja Prom Addoha (CSE:ADH), which climbed 3.06% or 0.89 points to finish at 29.99. S2M (CSE:S2M) added 2.78% or 15.00 points to end at 555.00, while Micro Data SA (CSE:MIC) rose 2.67% or 20.00 points to close at 770.00.
At the other end of the board, Sanlam Maroc SA (CSE:SAH) led losses, slipping 7.16% or 179.00 points to close at 2,321.00. Taqa Morocco SA (CSE:TQM) retreated 5.04% or 94.00 points to finish at 1,770.00, and Nationale d’Electrolyse et de Petrochimie Ste SA (CSE:SNP) fell 4.65% or 20.00 points to end at 410.00.
- Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 38 to 19, with 3 stocks unchanged.
Commodity markets showed strength during the session. Crude oil for May delivery rose 3.68% or 3.48 to settle at $97.96 a barrel. Brent crude for June delivery increased 1.72% or 1.75 to $103.64 a barrel. The June Gold Futures contract advanced 3.39% or 149.59 to trade at $4,558.59 a troy ounce.
In foreign exchange, EUR/MAD moved 0.04% to 10.76, while USD/MAD changed 0.01% to 9.34. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.07% at 99.78.
Friday's close reflects sector-led pressure amid stronger commodity prices. The Utilities, Banking and Mining sectors were the principal drivers of the decline on the Moroccan All Shares, while selected mid- and small-cap names posted gains.