The Saudi stock market depicted a positive drive Sunday, as the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) edged higher to 8,388.17, up 50.38 points or 0.6 percent from previous level.

On a year-to-date basis, the index crossed a positive return of 23.3 percent. The Med cap indices showed the best performance, advancing more than one percent.

Thirteen out of Tadawul's 15 sectors ended the day with modest gains, accumulating an aggregate of 688 points. Multi-Investment and Cement were major gainers among sectoral indices, which marginally increased by 1.54 percent and 1.48 percent respectively. Tourism sector added considerable 131 points, up 0.89 percent.

Most of heavyweights finished to the upside, with Kingdom Holding increasing by 1.85 percent, SABB 1.24 percent and the bellwether SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp.) 1.15 percent. SABIC also topped the value chart, pumping more liquidity (SR 461 million) into the market.

Advancing stocks outnumbered decliners by a margin of 77 to 54 and the prices of 26 companies remained unchanged.

Etihad Atheeb Telecom-munication Company turned in a splendid performance among all Saudi stocks, soaring up 6.04 percent to close the day at SR 15.8. Abdullah Al Othaim Markets Company bucked the 10-day downward trend and turned green yesterday, gaining 4.47 percent and ranking second to SR122.75.

Share trading activity was high as compared to previous day, specifically SR4.5 billion were poured into the market. Trading volume was improving, with about 168 million shares changed hands in the market, a growth of 5.6 percent over the previous level.

The 50-day average for trading volume is closer to 193.8 million shares.

Alinma Bank continued its most active status, liquidating over 18 million shares and capturing eleven percent of the overall market volume.