Gulf mixed with Saudi outperforming peers, Egypt loses steam

Reuters

Bourses in the Gulf were mixed on Wednesday with Saudi Arabia’s bourse supported by the petrochemical sector while Egypt lost steam as local and regional funds exited positions.
Saudi Arabia’s index rose 0.4 percent in moderate trade as Brent prices firmed over $46 a barrel. Saudi Basic Industries, the petrochemical heavyweight, climbed 0.9 percent.
The insurance sub-index, usually actively traded by day traders, added 1.7 percent as almost all the constituents advanced, recouping some of the heavy losses of the week. BUPA Arabia, a mid-sized medical insurer, rose 2.9 percent.
But banking shares were mixed, with the sub-index losing 0.2 percent as the sector’s heavyweights diverged. Al Rajhi Bank, the largest listed Islamic lender, dropped 2.7 percent.
“There is an overhang from the construction sector on Saudi banks, but we believe that the capital buffers in top-tier banks are sufficient,” said Kunal Damle, institutional sales for brokerage at Bahrain’s Securities & Investment Company (SICO).
Samba Financial Group, which derived 11 percent of its net income from corporate banking in the first half of the year, jumped 4.9 percent. The exchange will be closed on Thursday in observance of the kingdom’s national day holiday and will resume trade on Sunday Sept. 25.
Qatar’s stock index slipped 0.04 percent, after advancing 1.0 percent on Tuesday as passive funds flowed into the companies now included in the FTSE’s secondary emerging market index.
Seven of the 22 shares which are now FTSE members pulled back, with Ezdan Holding Group dropping 1.2 percent, while five of them advanced with Masraf Al Rayan adding 0.3 percent.
But mobile operator Ooredoo, now a member of the FTSE emerging market index, added 2.4 percent after the company said late on Tuesday it had no intention of selling any of its interest in Indonesian subsidiary Indosat Ooredoo. There had been media speculation it was considering a stake sale to focus on Middle Eastern markets.
Dubai’s index failed to hold onto small gains from earlier in the day and dropped 0.3 percent as declines in blue chips weighed on the exchange.
Emaar Properties retreated 1.3 percent and Dubai Investments lost 1.0 percent.
But Abu Dhabi’s index rose 0.2 percent although activity was lower than previous sessions this week. Union National Bank, which has shed 6.7 percent since Sunday, added 1.0 percent.

CAIRO RETREATS
Cairo’s main index retreated 1.4 percent in this week’s highest volume of trade as both local and regional funds cashed out, bourse data showed. All 30 shares declined with real estate developer Amer Group Holding slumping 6.9 percent and Qalaa Holdings dropping 5.3 percent.