Casablanca - Moroccan equities finished the trading day in positive territory on Thursday, the Moroccan All Shares index up 4.18% at the close, driven by gains across several key sectors.
Sectors that contributed most to the upward momentum included Banking, Beverage and Transport, which collectively supported the market's advance. Market breadth on the Casablanca Stock Exchange was decisively positive, with 53 stocks rising, 6 declining and 2 remaining unchanged.
Top performers
- Lesieur Cristal (CSE:LES) led the session, climbing 9.99% or 29.15 points to finish at 320.95.
- Stokvis Nord Afrique (CSE:SNA) also rose 9.99%, gaining 6.99 points to close at 76.94.
- Compagnie Sucrerie Marocaine et de Raffinage SA (CSE:CSR) advanced 9.98% or 15.00 points to end the day at 165.35.
Lagging names
- Micro Data SA (CSE:MIC) was the weakest performer, down 4.50% or 37.00 points to trade at 785.00 at the close.
- SMI (CSE:SMI) fell 2.45%, a loss of 171.00 points to finish at 6,799.00.
- Miniere Touissit (CSE:CMT) slipped 1.47%, retreating 50.00 points to 3,350.00.
Commodities reflected a mixed picture during the session. Crude oil for April delivery rose 6.24% or $4.66 to $79.32 a barrel, while Brent for May delivery increased 3.93% or $3.20 to $84.60 a barrel. By contrast, the April Gold Futures contract declined 0.96% or $49.26, trading at $5,085.44 a troy ounce.
Currency moves were modest but notable. EUR/MAD dipped 0.14% to 10.79, while USD/MAD appreciated 0.54% to 9.33. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was higher as well, up 0.61% at 99.33.
This session's performance saw a concentration of large gains among beverage and food-related names, while select technology and mining-related issues recorded declines. The balance of advancing versus declining stocks and the sector leadership provide a snapshot of market positioning at the close.