JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's benchmark Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) stepped down 149 points or 1.62 percent further to close Monday’s trading session at 9,059.94 points.

At one stage, it was down more than two hundred points. TASI's year-to-date gains reduced to 727 points or 8.72 percent.

Transport was the single advancing sector, closing the day slightly up (+0.41 percent) to 10,104.35.

Rest of the 14 sectors trimmed an aggregate of 2,375 points.

After sequential run-ups Media and Publishing sector has fallen prey to profit-taking, dropping 6.37 percent for the day.

Industrial Investment, Multi-Investment and Insurance sectors followed it, going down by 4.0 percent, 3.26 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

Decliners outnumbered the advancers by a huge margin of 148 to 12 and the prices of 5 companies remained unchanged.

Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Co. showing excessive losses of SR11.75 or 9.83 percent became the major decliner at Tadawul.

The MedGulf Insurance was another significant decliner, which lost 8.22 percent for the day. The company share price has reduced approximately thirty percent in one month.

Petrochemical flagship Saudi Basic Industries Corp. performed worst amongst big players, closing down by 2.43 percent.

On the other hand, new player Saudi Ground Services Co. (SGS) continued its upward march, marking another gain of 9.92 percent to close at SR66.5.

Tadawul turnover went down by 5.8 percent and traded 189.4 million shares as compared with 201 million shares of previous day.

Liquidity, however, rose by 5.3 percent to reach at SR5.8 billion.