Industrial sector leads drop in Muscat bourse in April

24/05/2015 02:26 AST

A six per cent fall was witnessed in the general index of Muscat Securities Market (MSM) in April to touch 6,322.5 points compared to 6,727.2 points recorded during the same period of 2014 according to the statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The Industry Sector has led the declines with a rate of 20.3 per cent reaching 8,342 points compared to 10,467.9 points recorded during the same period of 2014. It was followed by the services sector that decreased with 5.1 per cent to record 3,440 points at the end of last April compared to 3,623.3 points recorded during the same period of 2014.

The financial sector has also recorded a decrease of 3.3 per cent to reach 7,733 points compared to 7,998.5 points logged during the same period of 2014.

The total shares traded by the end of last April declined with 31.3 per cent to record one billion, 864 million and 433,000 shares compared to two billion, 715 million and 576,000 shares recorded during the same period of 2014.

The total value of trading also declined with 44.8 per cent to reach OMR520 million and OMR386,000 last April compared to OMR943 million and OMR263,000 recorded during the same period of 2014.

Till the end of last April, the Omani investors acquired 76 per cent of the purchase value against 14 per cent for the Gulf investors, eight per cent for the foreigners and two per cent for the Arabs.

The purchases of the Omani investors increased than their sales. The net transactions of the Omanis recorded OMR42 million and OMR957,000. The purchases of the Gulf investors were also higher than their sales.

The net transactions of the Gulf investors recorded OMR32 million and OMR220,000. On the other hand, the sales exceeded the purchases among the Arab and foreign investors. The net transactions of the Arab and foreign investors recorded negative numbers as the former recorded OMR37 million and OMR822,000; while the latter recorded OMR37 million and OMR355,000.

The financial sector acquired 62 per cent of the traded shares; while the industrial sector acquired 19 per cent. The services sector acquired 18 per cent of the shares and the securities acquired one per cent only.

The share of the International Investment Company came at the forefront of the fifth most traded securities at the end of last April by acquiring 15 per cent of the trading transactions with 60 million and 967,000.

The shares of Al Anwar Holdings came in the second position by acquiring 14 per cent of the traded shares with 59 million and 855,000 shares. It was followed by the shares of Bank Muscat with eight per cent of the trading transactions and 34 million and 247,000.

The shares of Oman UAE Holdings acquired eight per cent of the trading transactions with 33 million and 649,000 shares; while the shares of Gulf Investment Services acquired six per cent of the trading transactions with 25 million and 861,000 shares.

The other companies acquired 49 per cent of the trading transactions with 202 million and 657,000 shares.

ONA