MSX trading value rises by 43.2% to OMR180.7mn in weekly trading

Muscat: Gulf and foreign investment institutions were net buyers during the week's trading on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), amid rising liquidity levels and improved performance of listed public joint stock companies.

Trading value rose by 43.2 percent, reaching OMR180.7 million during the week compared to OMR126.2 million the previous week. The number of transactions executed rose from 18,300 from the previous week to 20,575.

The value of purchases by Gulf and foreign investment institutions amounted to OMR14.9 million, representing 8.5 percent of the total trading value, compared to purchases worth OMR3.6 million in the previous week. Sales by Gulf and foreign investment institutions during the week amounted to OMR10.4 million, representing 5.7 percent of the total trading value.

High trading volume was witnessed in the shares of banks, OQ Group companies, and telecommunications companies. Bank Sohar International topped the most traded companies in terms of trading value, at OMR37.5 million, representing 20.7 percent of the total trading value. Bank Muscat came in second at OMR33.4 million, OQ Gas Networks came in third at OMR 24.1 million, and OQ Basic Industries with trading valued at approximately OMR 23.1 million. Omantel came in fifth with OMR19.8 million, while OQ Exploration and Production came in sixth with trading valued at OMR18.9 million, representing 10.5 percent of the total trading value.

The Muscat Stock Exchange's main index rose by 62 points during the week, closing at 5,178 points. The financial sector index recorded the highest increase, rising by 147 points. The industrial sector index rose 47 points, and the services sector index rose 69 points to 2,078 points. Meanwhile, the Sharia index registered a slight decline of less than one point, closing at 465 points.

The market capitalisation of the Muscat Stock Exchange recorded gains of OMR406.6 million during the week, rising to OMR30.53 billion by the end Thursday's trading, benefiting from the increase recorded by the market capitalisation of public joint-stock companies, which rose to OMR14.5 billion, recording gains of more than OMR206.4 million from the previous week. The market capitalisation of the closed market remained unchanged at its previous level of OMR10.99 billion.

Meanwhile, the market value of the bonds and sukuk market witnessed gains of OMR200 million, rising to OMR4.98 billion by the end of last week's trading. This increase was a result of the listing of Sohar International Bank's unsecured, subordinated, perpetual Tier 1 bonds in a private subscription worth OMR200 million, divided into 200,000 bonds, with an annual interest rate of 6.75 percent.

During the week, 42 shares rose, 23 declined, and 25 remained unchanged. Oman Financial Services Bonds issued in 2025 recorded the highest increase, rising 17.3 percent to close at 88 baisas. Dhofar Food and Investment Company shares rose 15.9 percent to close at 80 baisas, while Al Batinah Energy shares rose to 139 baisas, recording a 13.9 percent increase.

Galfar Engineering and Contracting was the biggest loser, falling 4.7 percent to close at 60 baisas. Al Madina Investment Holding also fell 4.7 percent to close at 40 baisas, while Oman National Engineering and Investment fell 4.4 percent to 128 baisas.