Moroccan equities closed lower on Tuesday, driven by declines in the Utilities, Banking and Mining groups that weighed on sentiment across the Casablanca bourse. The Moroccan All Shares index finished the session down 0.18%, marking a new one-month low at the close.
Top performers
The session's strongest gains were recorded by several names across different sectors. Med Paper (CSE:MDP) led advancers, rising 8.16% - a gain of 2.00 points - to finish at 26.50. Leasing specialist Maroc Leasing (CSE:MLE) added 5.99% or 20.35 points to close at 360.35. Aluminum du Maroc SA (CSE:ALM) also advanced, up 2.27% or 41.00 points, settling at 1,845.00 in late trade.
Largest decliners
Among the weakest performers, Societe des Boissons du Maroc SA (CSE:SBM) led losses, slipping 4.76% or 100.00 points to end at 2,000.00. Real estate and construction group Alliances (CSE:ADI) declined 3.82% or 15.10 points to close at 379.90. Software firm Involys (CSE:INV) fell 3.81% or 4.80 points to 121.20.
Market breadth and notable lows
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing issues on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 41 to 16, while four stocks finished unchanged. Involys (CSE:INV) moved to a 52-week low, closing at 121.20 after the 3.81% decline reported during the session.
Commodities and currencies
Commodity markets showed mixed direction. Crude oil for August delivery fell 0.17% - down 0.13 to $78.01 a barrel. Brent oil for September delivery rose 0.38% or 0.32 to $83.62 a barrel. The August gold futures contract recorded a notable advance, gaining 2.44% or 97.55 to trade at $4,103.25 a troy ounce.
On the foreign exchange front, EUR/MAD was unchanged at 10.64. USD/MAD eased 0.06% to 9.33. Separately, U.S. Dollar Index Futures traded lower, down 0.54% at 100.50.
Session takeaway
Tuesday's trading left the Moroccan All Shares at a one-month low, with sector-level pressure concentrated in Utilities, Banking and Mining. While a handful of mid-cap and industrial names posted strong gains, the broader market saw more stocks retreat than advance, and at least one name moved to a year-low on the session's weakness.
Index and selected symbol moves cited reflect closing session values and percentage changes as reported for the Casablanca market on Tuesday.