Moroccan equities ended Tuesday's session in negative territory, with the Moroccan All Shares sliding 1.00% to register a new one-month low at the close in Casablanca. The market downturn was driven by declines in Utilities, Banking and Mining stocks, which weighed on the broader index throughout the trading day.
At a glance, the session produced mixed individual performances. Leading the winners was Wafa Assurance (CSE:WAA), which climbed 5.36% - an increase of 300.00 points - to finish at 5,900.00. The insurer's share move was notable enough to lift it to an all-time high at the close. Fenie Brossette (CSE:FBR) and S2M (CSE:S2M) were other notable advancers; FBR gained 4.75% or 14.00 points to end at 308.50, while S2M rose 4.46% or 25.00 points to close at 586.00.
Weakness was concentrated among several heavy decliners. SMI (CSE:SMI) posted the steepest fall, dropping 9.99% or 984.00 points to settle at 8,865.00. Miniere Touissit (CSE:CMT) declined 9.56% or 460.00 points to end at 4,350.00, and Ste de Travaux de Realisation d’Ouvrages et de Constuction Industielle SA (CSE:STR) fell 6.54% or 14.00 points to 200.00.
Market breadth on the Casablanca Stock Exchange favored losers, with 37 stocks declining versus 17 advancing and 5 finishing unchanged. The session thus reflected broader selling pressure even as selected names posted solid gains.
Outside equities, commodity prices moved lower. Crude oil for July delivery fell 1.12% or 1.17 to $103.21 a barrel, while Brent for July delivery dropped 1.51% or 1.69 to $110.41 a barrel. The June Gold Futures contract was down 1.24% or 56.43, trading at $4,501.57 a troy ounce at the close.
Foreign exchange rates saw modest shifts: EUR/MAD rose 0.10% to 10.72, and USD/MAD increased 0.49% to 9.24. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.23% at 99.33, reflecting slight strength in the dollar during the session.
Summing up, the Casablanca session featured a clear split between a handful of gainers and a larger set of decliners, with Utilities, Banking and Mining stocks exerting downward pressure on the Moroccan All Shares. Movements in crude oil, Brent and gold, along with small currency adjustments, accompanied the equity slump.