Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Stock Exchange’s main index, Tadawul All Share Index (TASI), fell slightly by 28.65 points (0.24 percent) to 12099.49 points at the end of Thursday’s trading, with a liquidity of SR7.68 billion ($2 billion).

The volume of traded shares reached 600 million, shared by more than 590000 transactions, in which the shares of 66 companies recorded an increase in their value, while the shares of 158 companies closed with a decline.

The share of Saudi Aramco, the heaviest weight in the index, decreased by 0.36 percent to SR27.55, with trades worth SR308.7 million. Al-Rajhi Bank shares also fell by 0.34 percent to SR88.70. Arabian Drilling and Aldrees shares recorded losses of about 2 and 1 percent, at SR118 and SR126.4 respectively.

On the other hand, Cenomi Retail shares topped the most profitable companies with an increase of about 10 percent, at SR11.04, after the board of directors recommended not to reduce capital and take several other measures.

Sadarat shares also rose by about 10 percent to SR2.78, and the company’s general assembly approved the split of the nominal value of the share. In the banking sector, Al-Ahli Bank and Al-Awwal Bank shares rose by about one percent, at SR35.40 and SR34.90 respectively.

The Saudi Parallel Stock Index (Nomu) fell by 177.69 points to close at 25,768.51 points, with trades worth SR39 million, and the volume of traded shares amounted to more than two million shares, divided into 3,768 transactions.