Saturday 20 / December / 2025
Muscat: Industrial companies listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) strengthened their gains in the week, benefiting from the positive atmosphere following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the Republic of India.
The crucial agreement is expected to contribute to increasing trade exchange between the two countries and creating many opportunities for Omani industrial companies to export their products to Indian markets and benefit from the reduction of trade barriers.
The gains made by industrial companies pushed the industrial sector index above the 7,700 point level after it added 76 points and closed at 7,772 points.
These gains came after the rise in shares of Al Safa Foods, Voltamp Energy, Oman Cables Industry, Gulf Mushroom Production, and a number of other industrial companies included in the sector index sample.
The week also witnessed a wave of profit-taking that put pressure on the shares of many leading companies, which reduced their gains. The Muscat Stock Exchange saw the prices of 39 securities decline, compared to 36 securities whose prices rose and 20 securities that remained unchanged at their previous levels.
The declines witnessed by leading companies affected the main index, which fell by 8 points and closed at 5,941 points, although it is still at its highest level in 9 years.
The financial sector index recorded the largest losses, declining by 70 points, after it lost support from banks and investment companies, with the shares of Bank Muscat, Bank Sohar International, Oman Arab Bank, Bank Nizwa, and Ominvest declining. The Sharia index recorded an increase of two points and closed at 524 points.
The market capitalisation of securities listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange recorded losses estimated at OMR55.9 million during the week, falling to OMR32.14 billion by the end of trading session.
The week also saw a rise in trading value, driven by increased purchases from local investment funds and companies, as well as individual Omani investors. Trading value reached OMR210.8 million, compared to OMR199.4 million the previous week, marking a 5.7% increase.
However, the number of transactions executed declined from over 25,000 to 19,300. Investors focused on shares of companies with high market capitalisations, such as Bank Muscat, which saw trading worth OMR54.6 million, representing 25.9% of the total trading value, with its share price closing at 338 baisa. Bank Sohar shares saw trading worth OMR37.7 million, representing 17.9% of the total trading value and closed at 164 baisa. OQ Basic Industries reported trading of OMR29.7 million, representing 14.1% of the total trading value, and closed at 189 baisa. These three companies accounted for approximately 58 percent of the total trading value.
The share price of Majan Glass Company, listed on the Follow-Up Market, recorded the highest gains, rising from 13 baisa to 20 baisa, an increase of 81.8 percent. The share witnessed 41 transactions with a trading volume of 414,000 shares. During the week, the company announced details of the acquisition offer submitted by Al-Zumurrud National Company at a price of 4 baisa per share. It stated that the offer would begin on January 4 and end on January 25. It clarified that for the offer to be completed, it must be accepted by shareholders who own at least 75 percent of the company's shares, according to the Acquisition and Control Regulations issued by the Financial Services Authority. Majan Glass Company's accumulated losses at the end of last September amounted to OMR7.3 million, while the company's capital is OMR4.2 million, reserves are estimated at OMR1.2 million and total assets are estimated at OMR9.4 million.
The shares of Raysut Cement, Oman United Insurance, Gulf Mushroom Production, Dhofar Food and Investment, and National Oman Engineering and Investment were among the top gainers, recording gains ranging between 5.7 percent and 7.5 percent.
The financial services stock recorded the highest losses, declining by 13.7 percent and closing at 75 baisa. Majan College stock fell to 120 baisa, recording a decline of 11.1 percent, and the building materials industry stock declined to 74 baisa, recording a decline of 7.5 percent.
