Saudi Arabian stocks experienced a decline on Sunday, influenced by setbacks in the material, energy, and financial sectors. The overall market saw a minor dip, with the major index closing down 0.06%.
Among the day’s various performers, Saudi Pharmaceutical Appliances stood out as the most significant gainer, witnessing an impressive rise of 8.11%, adding 2.20 points to reach a closing price of 29.32. Following closely were Methanol Chemicals Company, which climbed 7.38% or 0.59 points to finish at 8.59, and Al Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker, which saw a 7.15% increase, ending the day at 16.34 after a gain of 1.09 points.
Conversely, the session also had its share of poor performers. Modern Mills Company SJSC suffered a notable drop, down 5.38% or 1.56 points, closing at 27.44. Saudi Fisheries Co. also faced challenges, decreasing by 5.17% or 2.20 points to settle at 40.38, marking the company’s shares at 5-year lows. National Industrialization Co. rounded out the list of significant losses with a decline of 4.98%, down 0.44 points to close at 8.40.
Overall market trends demonstrated that the number of declining stocks outpaced those that advanced, with 181 stocks falling against 143 that gained, while 21 remained unchanged.
On the commodities front, crude oil prices remained robust, with April deliveries rising by 3.11% to $98.71 per barrel. Brent oil for May delivery also saw an increase of 2.67%, bringing its price to $103.14 per barrel. However, gold futures for April slipped, down 1.25% to $5,061.70 per troy ounce.
In currency exchanges, the Euro saw a slight decline against the Saudi Riyal, down 0.83% to 4.28, while the US Dollar maintained its position with minimal movement, remaining unchanged at 3.75. The US Dollar Index Futures recorded an uptick of 0.61%, climbing to 100.36.
