Saturday 28 / March / 2026
Muscat: The main index of the Muscat Stock Exchange rose 200 points during the week and closed at 7,967 points ahead of the end of the annual distribution season, with local investment funds and institutions buying as investors await the financial results for the first quarter of this year, which are expected to be announced within the next two weeks.
The publicly listed companies on the Muscat Stock Exchange conclude their annual general meetings this week, during which shareholders discuss the companies' performance, financial results, and dividend distributions.
The number of companies whose shareholders are looking to distribute dividends to shareholders is 30, most notably Bank Sohar International, Omantel, National Bank of Oman, Renaissance Services, Bank Dhofar, Bank Nizwa, Oman Arab Bank, Oman Flour Mills, Salalah Flour Mills, Ominvest, and many other companies.
During the week, shareholders of Al Jazeera Steel Products, Dhofar Insurance, Oman Cables Industry, OQ Gas Networks, Abraj Energy Services, Al Maha Ceramics, Gulf Mushroom Products, Al Maha Petroleum Products Marketing, and a number of other companies approved the dividend distributions that they had announced during the past weeks.
The distributions were reflected in the performance of many stocks, which recorded a remarkable rise as investors sought to benefit from cash dividends and free shares.
The Muscat Stock Exchange witnessed a positive performance in many of its indices during the week. In addition to the rise in the main index of the exchange, the sectoral indices recorded a collective rise, led by the financial sector index, which rose 169 points and closed above the level of 12,600 points. The industrial sector index rose 158 points and closed above 9,900 points. The services sector index rose to 3,093 points, an increase of 53 points. The Sharia index rose two points and closed at 650 points.
The average daily trading volume in the week rose to OMR76.1 million, compared to OMR61.7 million Omani riyals in the week before. The stock exchange witnessed an increase in the prices of 42 securities compared to 24 securities whose prices declined and 21 securities that remained unchanged at their previous levels. The recorded increases led to an increase in the total market capiatlisation of the Muscat Stock Exchange to OMR37.46 billion, recording weekly gains of OMR257.3 million.
OQ Basic Industries shares topped the list of most traded stocks in terms of trading value at OMR42.6 million, accounting for 18.6 percent of the total trading value witnessed by the Muscat Stock Exchange, which amounted to OMR228.5 million. OQ Gas Networks came in second place with trades valued at OMR40.3 million, Bank Muscat came in third with trades valued at OMR35.2 million, Bank Sohar International came in fourth with trades valued at OMR28.5 million and Omantel came in fifth with trades valued at OMR23.8 million.
Salalah Port Services shares recorded the highest gain, rising by 20.8 percent and closing at 585 baisa. Omantel shares rose by 14.5 percent and closed at 1 rial and 524 baisa. Financial Services shares climbed to 200 baisa, rising by 13.6 percent. Muscat Insurance shares rose by 7.5 percent and closed at 600 baisa. Majan College shares recorded a rise of 6.6 percent and closed at 129 baisa.
The Omani Packaging Company's stock led the decliners, falling by 9.5 percent to close at 162 baisa. The Gulf Mushroom Production Company's stock fell to 391 baisa, recording a drop of 9.2 percent. The Omani Educational and Training Investments Company's stock declined by 6.2 percent to close at OMR1.500. Raysut Cement's stock fell to 125 baisa, recording a decline of 6 percent. The National Industrial Detergents Company's stock recorded a decline of 4.1 percent to close at 690 baisa.
