Saudi equities ended the trading day in negative territory on Wednesday, with the Tadawul All Share index down 0.25% at the close. The decline was led by weakness across Insurance, Financial Services and Media & Publishing segments, which collectively pulled the broader market lower.
Among individual movers, Wafrah for Industry and Development Company SJSC (TADAWUL:2100) led the gainers, jumping 10.00% or 1.98 points to finish at 21.78. Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction Company SCJSC (TADAWUL:4325) also rose 10.00%, gaining 1.68 points to close at 18.48. Saudi Fisheries Co. (TADAWUL:6050) recorded a strong advance as well, up 9.94% or 5.40 points to trade at 59.75 in late session dealing.
At the other end of the tape, Al-Rajhi Cooperative Insurance (TADAWUL:8230) posted the largest decline, slipping 4.41% or 2.55 points to end the day at 55.30. Consolidated Grunenfelder Saady Holding Co (TADAWUL:4147) retreated 3.44%, down 0.24 points to 6.74, while Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co (TADAWUL:1304) fell 3.21% or 1.36 points to finish at 41.00.
Market breadth showed more advancing issues than decliners on the Saudi Exchange: 192 stocks closed higher against 128 losers, with 19 securities unchanged at the close.
Commodities trading mirrored the risk-off tilt. Crude oil for August delivery declined 2.87% or $2.10 to settle at $71.11 per barrel. Brent crude for September delivery fell 2.79% or $2.14 to $74.66 a barrel. Precious metals retreated as the August Gold Futures contract decreased 3.08% or $127.85 to trade at $4,021.55 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, EUR/SAR moved lower by 0.45% to 4.25, while USD/SAR was essentially unchanged, shifting by 0.01% to 3.75. The US Dollar Index Futures traded higher, up 0.36% at 101.54.
Summary of session highlights:
- Headline index - Tadawul All Share closed down 0.25%.
- Top gainers included TADAWUL:2100, TADAWUL:4325 and TADAWUL:6050, each recording near double-digit percentage increases.
- Largest decliners included TADAWUL:8230, TADAWUL:4147 and TADAWUL:1304.
- Commodities saw declines in both crude benchmarks and gold futures.
Trading participants will note the mixed session dynamic: despite more stocks advancing than falling, notable losses in certain financial and media-linked names produced a modest overall decline for the index. Movements in energy and precious metals prices may have contributed to intraday sentiment, while currency pairs involving the Saudi riyal remained largely stable by the close.