MSX index ends lower

Muscat: The MSX index closed at 4,510.23 points, down by 0.44 per cent from the previous close. The Sharia Index ended up by 0.92 per cent at 482.99 points.

Construction Materials, up 9.72 per cent, was the top gainer while Al Madina Investments, down 14.29 per cent, was the top loser. Shares of Ahli Bank were the most active in terms of the number of shares traded while Bank Muscat were the most active in terms of turnover.

A total number of 388 trades were executed during the day's trading session, generating a turnover of OMR3.49 million, with more than 13.77 million shares changing hands. Out of 52 traded securities, 17 advanced, 16 declined, and 19 remained unchanged. At the session close, GCC & Arab investors were net buyers for OMR65,000 while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR48,000, followed by domestic investors for OMR17,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index closed at 7,189.5 points, down 0.5 per cent. Prices of Al Batinah Development Company, Taageer Finance, Oman Arab Bank, Al Madina Takaful, and Ahli Bank were up by 8.89 per cent, 2.06 per cent, 1.6 per cent, 1.15 per cent, and 0.74 per cent respectively. Prices of Al Madina Investments, United Finance, Global Financial Investments, Bank Dhofar, and Bank Muscat were down by 14.29 per cent, 6.67 per cent, 3.57 per cent, 3.33 per cent and 0.69 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 6,149.77 points, down 0.01 per cent. Prices of Construction Materials, Al Maha Ceramics, Galfar Engineering, National Aluminium, and Oman Cables Industry were up by 9.72 per cent, 8.26 per cent, 2.56 per cent, 1.27 per cent and 1.25 per cent respectively. Prices of Raysut Cement, Muscat Thread Mill, Oman Fisheries, Oman Cement, and Gulf Mushroom Products were down by 9.77 per cent, 8.33 per cent, 3.74 per cent, 1.33 per cent and 1.19 per cent respectively.

Services Index was up by 0.45 per cent before closing at 1,593.61 points. Prices of Al Suwadi Power, Al Maha Marketing, Al Jazeera Services, Oman Education & Training, and OIFC were up by 5.26 per cent, 2.93 per cent, 2.04 per cent, 1.5 per cent, and 0.78 per cent respectively. Prices of SMN Power Holding, Oman Telecom and Renaissance Services were down by 3.13 per cent, 0.89 per cent and 0.83 per cent respectively.