Stock Markets May 17, 2026 08:45 AM

Saudi Equities Slip as Cement, Hospitality and Retail Drive Losses; Tadawul All Share Drops 0.25%

Market breadth favored decliners while oil climbed and gold retreated in late trade

By Leila Farooq

Saudi Arabia's stock market closed lower on Sunday, with the Tadawul All Share index down 0.25% as declines led by the Cement, Hotels & Tourism and Retail sectors outweighed gains in select insurance and holding companies. Market breadth showed more losers than winners, while crude oil and Brent rose and gold futures fell.

Saudi Equities Slip as Cement, Hospitality and Retail Drive Losses; Tadawul All Share Drops 0.25%

Key Points

  • Tadawul All Share closed down 0.25%, with Cement, Hotels & Tourism and Retail sectors leading declines.
  • Top individual gainers included Arabian Shield Coop Insurance (TADAWUL:8070), Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance (TADAWUL:8311) and Kingdom Holding (TADAWUL:4280); largest decliners included Gulf Insurance Group (TADAWUL:8250), Rasan Information Technology (TADAWUL:8313) and Power and Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu (TADAWUL:2083).
  • Commodities were mixed: crude oil and Brent rose significantly while gold futures fell; the US Dollar Index Futures was higher.

Saudi Arabian equities ended Sunday's session in negative territory, with the Tadawul All Share finishing down 0.25% at the close. Losses were concentrated in the Cement, Hotels & Tourism and Retail sectors, which collectively pressured the market despite notable gains in a handful of companies.

Top movers

Among the session's strongest performers, Arabian Shield Coop Insurance Co (TADAWUL:8070) led the advance, gaining 7.27% - an increase of 0.80 points to close at 11.80. Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance (TADAWUL:8311) also posted a sizable rise, adding 6.95% or 0.79 points to finish at 12.15. Kingdom Holding Company (TADAWUL:4280) recorded a 6.38% increase, up 0.66 points to 11.01 by the close of trading.

Lagging issues

On the downside, Gulf Insurance Group (TADAWUL:8250) was the weakest large mover mentioned, falling 4.87% - a decline of 1.38 points to 26.96 at the close. Rasan Information Technology (TADAWUL:8313) dropped 4.26%, down 6.30 points to end at 141.70, while Power and Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu (TADAWUL:2083) lost 4.19%, slipping 1.66 points to 38.00.

Market breadth and milestones

Decliners outpaced advancers on the Saudi exchange, with 221 stocks falling versus 111 advancing. Twenty-one issues finished unchanged. Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance (TADAWUL:8311) reached a 52-week high during the session, closing at 12.15 after the 6.95% gain.

Commodities and currency moves

Energy markets were firmer: crude oil for July delivery rose 4.20% - an increase of $4.25 - closing at $101.02 per barrel. Brent for July delivery climbed 3.35% or $3.54 to $109.26 a barrel. Precious metals traded lower, with the June Gold Futures contract falling 2.63% or $123.40 to $4,561.90 a troy ounce. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.49%, trading at 99.21.

In currency pairs featured in the session's data, EUR/SAR declined 0.39% to 4.36, while USD/SAR was unchanged at 3.75.

Context for investors

The session left the broader index modestly lower as sectoral weakness outweighed isolated gains in insurance and holding companies. Commodity moves were mixed, with oil rising sharply and gold retreating, while the US Dollar Index Futures advanced slightly.


Data referenced in this report reflect the quoted closing prices, percentage moves and instrument levels provided for the session.

Risks

  • Sector-specific weakness in Cement, Hotels & Tourism and Retail could continue to weigh on equities in those areas.
  • Rising crude and Brent prices may affect market sentiment and sector performance, particularly for energy-linked and cost-sensitive businesses.
  • Precious metals weakness and a firmer US Dollar Index Futures could signal shifting investor preferences, adding uncertainty for asset allocation decisions.

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