Moroccan equities finished the trading day in negative territory on Tuesday, with the Moroccan All Shares index retreating 0.37% at the Casablanca close. Losses were concentrated in the Utilities, Banking and Mining sectors, which contributed to the overall downward movement.
At the close, Lesieur Cristal (CSE:LES) was the session's top performer on the All Shares index, gaining 2.86% - an increase of 10.00 points - to finish at 360.00. Bmce Bank (CSE:BOA) advanced 2.37%, or 5.05 points, to close at 218.05, while Akdital SA (CSE:AKT) rose 2.01%, adding 23.00 points to end the day at 1,166.00.
On the downside, Micro Data SA (CSE:MIC) recorded the largest drop among listed stocks, slipping 3.99% - a loss of 32.90 points - to trade at 792.00 at the close. Mutandis SCA (CSE:MUT) declined 3.08%, or 8.00 points, to finish at 251.50. Label Vie (CSE:LBV) also fell, down 1.94% or 80.00 points, to close at 4,050.00.
Market breadth favored decliners on the Casablanca Stock Exchange, with 33 stocks falling versus 19 advancing. An additional five issues ended the session unchanged.
Commodities saw declines during the trading session. Crude oil for April delivery fell 0.65% - down 0.43 - to $65.88 a barrel. Brent crude for May delivery eased 0.42%, or 0.30, to $70.81 a barrel. Precious metals also moved lower, with the April Gold Futures contract dropping 1.20% - a decrease of 62.65 - to trade at $5,162.95 per troy ounce.
Currency pairs involving the Moroccan dirham showed modest movement. EUR/MAD rose 0.21% to 10.81, while USD/MAD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.03% to 9.17. At the same time, the US Dollar Index Futures traded higher, up 0.13% at 97.76.
The day's activity underscored selective strength among some financials and consumer-related names, while broader sector pressures, particularly in Utilities, Banking and Mining, weighed on the benchmark before the close in Casablanca.
Summary
Morocco's All Shares index declined 0.37% at the close in Casablanca, with Utilities, Banking and Mining sectors contributing to the weakness. Top winners included Lesieur Cristal, Bmce Bank and Akdital SA, while Micro Data SA, Mutandis SCA and Label Vie were the largest decliners. Commodities and currency moves accompanied the market session.