Moroccan equities ended Wednesday's trading session with a modest gain, the Moroccan All Shares adding 0.34% by the close in Casablanca. Sector strength in banking, beverages and transport underpinned the advance, while market breadth favored rising issues.
Top gainers and losers
The session's strongest performer on the Moroccan All Shares was Miniere Touissit (CSE:CMT), which finished up 9.96% - a rise of 237.00 points - to close at 2,617.00. Disway SA (CSE:DWY) recorded a 5.26% increase, gaining 44.00 points to end at 880.00, and SMI (CSE:SMI) rose 4.51%, adding 246.00 points to finish at 5,695.00.
On the downside, Involys (CSE:INV) led decliners with a 4.94% drop, losing 8.90 points to close at 171.10. Marocaine pour le Commerce et l’Industrie Banque SA (CSE:BCI) fell 4.14%, a 26.00-point decline to 602.00, while Disty Technologies SA (CSE:DYT) slipped 3.03%, down 10.00 points to 320.00.
Market breadth and activity
Advancers outnumbered decliners on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 33 to 21, while 6 stocks finished unchanged. That skew toward advancing issues resulted in the modest gain for the broader index.
Commodities and currencies
Energy and precious metals prices were stronger during the session. Crude oil for March delivery rose 2.14%, up $1.37 to $65.33 a barrel. Brent oil for April delivery climbed 2.05%, up $1.41 to $70.21 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract advanced 1.44%, gaining $72.65 to trade at $5,103.65 a troy ounce.
In foreign exchange moves relevant to Moroccan markets, EUR/MAD was effectively flat, changing by 0.01% to 10.85, while USD/MAD increased 0.32% to 9.14. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.10% to 96.77.
Overall, the market closed with a narrow but positive performance led by select mining and distribution names, while several financial and technology-related issues posted notable declines.