Saudi equity markets ended higher after the close on Sunday, with the Tadawul All Share index adding 2.14% as gains in the Media & Publishing, Petrochemicals and Cement sectors supported the advance.
The session's top performers included Alujain Corporation (TADAWUL:2170), which climbed 10.00% - an increase of 2.44 points to finish at 26.84. Methanol Chemicals Company (TADAWUL:2001) also rose 10.00%, adding 0.66 points to close at 7.26, and Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company (TADAWUL:2350) gained 10.00%, up 0.49 points to 5.39 at the close.
On the downside, several names in the real estate investment trust and communications space ended weaker. Al Rajhi REIT (TADAWUL:4340) fell 2.24%, a decline of 0.18 points to 7.85. Mulkia Gulf Real Estate REIT (TADAWUL:4336) dropped 2.00%, down 0.09 points to 4.41, and Saudi Azm for Communication and Information Technology (TADAWUL:7211) was down 1.89%, or 0.44 points, to end at 22.84.
Advancers substantially outpaced decliners on the bourse: 284 stocks finished higher, 56 declined, and 10 were unchanged.
Market context and commodity moves
Commodity markets showed notable strength alongside the equity advances. Crude oil for April delivery rose 12.21%, an increase of 9.89 to trade at $90.90 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery advanced 8.52%, or 7.28, closing at $92.69 a barrel. The April gold futures contract increased 1.58%, adding 80.00 to trade at $5,158.70 a troy ounce.
In foreign-exchange trading, EUR/SAR was effectively unchanged, moving 0.08% to 4.36, while USD/SAR was flat, shifting 0.01% to 3.75. The US Dollar Index Futures slipped 0.33% to 98.98.
Key takeaways
- Broad-based advance on the Tadawul All Share, which closed up 2.14%.
- Petrochemical and media-related stocks posted the session's largest gains, with three names up 10.00% each.
- Oil and gold prices rose sharply during the same trading period, coinciding with the equity market strength.
Risks and uncertainties
- Commodity price volatility - crude and Brent both moved substantially higher during the session, a source of market uncertainty for energy-sensitive sectors.
- Concentration of gains in a subset of names - while advancers outnumbered decliners, several REIT and communications stocks declined, indicating uneven sector performance.
The session closed with a clear majority of stocks in positive territory, supported by sector-led strength and buoyant commodity moves.