Saudi equity markets finished higher on Wednesday, with the Tadawul All Share index rising 0.23% to close at a new one-month high as several real estate, construction and retail-related names advanced.
Gains were concentrated among stocks linked to building and development activity as well as retail, which collectively helped lift the index at the close.
Top performers
- Middle East Specialized Cables Co (TADAWUL:2370) led the session, climbing 9.98% or 2.31 points to finish at 25.46.
- Emaar The Economic City (TADAWUL:4220) added 9.96% or 0.97 points to end the day at 10.71.
- Saudi Public Transport Co. (TADAWUL:4040) rose 9.94% or 1.08 points to 11.94 at the close.
Largest decliners
- Saudi Cable Company (TADAWUL:2110) registered the biggest drop, down 8.00% or 13.60 points to 156.40 at the close.
- Advanced Building Industries Co SJSC (TADAWUL:2240) declined 6.68% or 2.58 points to finish at 36.02.
- Kingdom Holding Company (TADAWUL:4280) fell 4.79% or 0.50 points to close at 9.93.
Market breadth favored advancers, with 206 stocks finishing higher versus 128 that fell, while 16 issues ended unchanged on the Saudi Arabia Stock Exchange.
Commodities and currency moves
Energy markets traded lower during the session. Crude oil for May delivery fell 1.36% or $1.38 to settle at $100.00 a barrel, while Brent for June delivery dropped 1.96% or $2.04 to $101.93 a barrel. In precious metals, the June Gold Futures contract gained 1.73% or $80.87 to trade at $4,759.47 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, EUR/SAR was up 0.45% to 4.35, while USD/SAR was essentially unchanged, moving 0.01% to 3.75. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.50% to 99.26.
Overall, the session presented a mixed picture: a modest index advance led by discrete sector strength and notable single-stock moves, set against softer oil benchmarks and stronger gold futures.