Saturday 31 / January / 2026
Muscat: Local investment funds and institutions increased their purchases on the Muscat Stock Exchange during the week, reflecting the level of optimism among local investment institutions that injected more liquidity into the stock exchange after public shareholding companies announced their financial results and recommendations for distributing profits.
During the week, banks and several public shareholding companies disclosed their dividend distribution proposals to shareholders. Oman Cables Industry recommended a cash dividend of 95.5 baisa per share, while Gulf Mushroom Production recommended a cash dividend of 25 baisa per share and a 10% bonus share distribution.
Most banks announced their dividend recommendations, such as Bank Muscat, which recommended a cash dividend of 18 baisa per share; National Bank of Oman, which announced a dividend of 10.5 baisa per share; Bank Dhofar, which announced a dividend of 7.5 baisa per share; and Bank Nizwa, which recommended a cash dividend of 2.7 baisa per share and mandatory convertible bonds (Sukuk) at a rate of 4.54% of paid-up capital. Ahli Bank and Bank Sohar International opted to combine cash dividends and bonds. These recommendations will be presented to the Annual General Meetings (AGMs) scheduled for next March.
Trading data issued by the Muscat Stock Exchange indicated that purchases by local investment institutions during the week amounted to OMR170.7 million, accounting for 72.6 percent of the total trading value, compared to sales of OMR146.5 million, representing 62.3 percent of the total trading value. Meanwhile, local individual investors tended to sell to take advantage of the gains achieved by shares during the past months, with their sales constituting 17.5 percent of the total trading value, compared to purchases of 14.4 percent.
The industrial sector index recorded the highest gains, rising 263 points, benefiting from the rise in shares of Voltamp Energy, Al Jazeera Steel Products, Oman Chrome, and a number of other industrial companies. The financial sector index rose 149 points after the rise in shares of a number of banks and investment companies. The services sector index recorded an increase of 17 points, and the Sharia index rose to 589 points, recording an increase of 6 points.
Bank Muscat topped the list of most traded companies in terms of trading value, with trades worth OMR48.1 million, accounting for 20.4 percent of the total trading value. Omantel came in second with trades worth OMR32.1 million, Bank Sohar International came in third with trades of OMR30.9 million, OQ Exploration and Production came in fourth with trades worth OMR29.9 million, while OQ Basic Industries came in fifth with trades worth OMR21.8 million.
The week also saw the prices of 48 securities rise, compared to 31 securities whose prices declined and 20 securities that remained unchanged at their previous levels. Gulfar Engineering and Contracting topped the list of winning stocks, rising by 25 percent and closing at 105 baisa. Voltamp Energy came in second place, rising by 17.6 percent and closing at 1 rial and 700 baisa. National Finance rose to 204 baisa, recording an increase of about 14 percent.
The share of Majan Glass led the losing shares, declining by 29.4 percent and closing at 12 baisa. The share of Gulf Hotels - Oman fell by 10 percent and closed at 3 riyals and 555 baisa, and the share of Al Anwar Ceramic Tiles declined by 6.4 percent and closed at 188 baisa.
