Stock Markets May 18, 2026 08:45 AM

Tadawul slips as transport, agriculture & food and tourism sectors weigh on market

Small overall decline sees broader market under pressure while a handful of stocks post notable gains and steep losses

By Nina Shah

The Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Monday, ending the session down 0.11% as losses in the Transport, Agriculture & Food and Hotels & Tourism sectors exerted downward pressure. Market breadth was negative with falling issues outnumbering advancers. AFG International and Thimar Development posted significant declines, while Tabuk Agriculture, Saudi Chemical and East Pipes were among the session's leaders. Energy contracts declined and U.S. dollar futures softened.

Tadawul slips as transport, agriculture & food and tourism sectors weigh on market

Key Points

  • Tadawul All Share closed down 0.11% with Transport, Agriculture & Food and Hotels & Tourism among the sectors leading losses.
  • Top gainers included Tabuk Agriculture (TADAWUL:6040), Saudi Chemical (TADAWUL:2230) and East Pipes (TADAWUL:1321); biggest fallers were AFG International (TADAWUL:4240), Perfect Presentation (TADAWUL:7204) and Thimar Development (TADAWUL:4160).
  • Crude oil and Brent futures declined while June Gold Futures rose; EUR/SAR strengthened modestly and USD/SAR was unchanged, with the U.S. Dollar Index Futures down.

Saudi Arabia's equity market finished modestly lower on Monday, with the Tadawul All Share ending the day down 0.11% as several key sectors dragged the benchmark into negative territory.

Sectors cited as primary contributors to the decline included Transport, Agriculture & Food and Hotels & Tourism. Overall market participation skewed toward sellers: 236 issues fell versus 92 that advanced, while 18 stocks closed unchanged.


Top performers

  • Tabuk Agriculture Development Co (TADAWUL:6040) led the gainers, rising 5.69% - up 0.33 points to finish at 6.13.
  • Saudi Chemical Company (TADAWUL:2230) added 4.15% - a 0.34-point increase to close at 8.53.
  • East Pipes Integrated Company for Industry (TADAWUL:1321) rose 3.73% - gaining 6.90 points to trade at 191.80 at the close.

Largest declines

  • AFG International Co (TADAWUL:4240) was the session's weakest name, dropping 7.71% or 1.08 points to end at 12.92. The share price moved to a 52-week low.
  • Perfect Presentation for Commercial Services Company PJSC (TADAWUL:7204) fell 6.24% or 0.43 points to finish at 6.46.
  • Thimar Development Holding Co (TADAWUL:4160) declined 5.63% or 1.84 points to close at 30.86, marking a five-year low for the stock.

Breadth and notable stock levels

Decliners outpaced advancers by a margin of more than two to one, reflecting broad weakness despite the session's leaders. Two companies recorded notable low points: shares of AFG International reached 52-week lows, while Thimar Development fell to five-year lows.


Commodities and currency moves

Commodity markets were mixed. Crude oil for July delivery fell 1.71% - down 1.73 to $99.29 a barrel. Brent for July delivery slipped 1.45% - down 1.58 to $107.68 a barrel. In metals, the June Gold Futures contract rose 0.25% - gaining 11.44 to trade at $4,573.34 per troy ounce.

On currency measures, the euro per Saudi riyal (EUR/SAR) was quoted up 0.26% at 4.37, while the U.S. dollar against the Saudi riyal (USD/SAR) showed negligible movement - unchanged at 3.75. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was lower by 0.29% at 98.92.


Market context and takeaways

Monday's session saw modest index weakness driven by sector-level selling in transport, agriculture & food and tourism-related names, even as several individual stocks produced double-digit percentage moves on a relative basis. The contrast between the day's top gainers and the deepest decliners underscores uneven performance across industries and capitalizations.

Market participants will likely watch whether the softening in crude futures and the weaker U.S. dollar futures continue to influence sector flows in coming sessions.

Risks

  • Weak market breadth - more than twice as many stocks fell as rose - may indicate broader selling pressure that could affect multiple sectors including Transport, Agriculture & Food and Hotels & Tourism.
  • Significant declines in specific stocks, including AFG International reaching a 52-week low and Thimar Development hitting a five-year low, highlight company-specific downside risk within the affected industries.
  • Downward movement in crude oil and Brent prices introduces uncertainty for energy-linked names and could influence sentiment across related sectors.

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