JEDDAH: Gulf stock markets traded in a narrow range as the operator of the region’s biggest mall in Dubai slightly missed earnings forecasts and other bourses lacked strong positive catalysts.

Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index inched down 0.1 percent and Saudi Basic Industries Corp, down 1.7 percent, was the main drag.

The company is expected to report second-quarter earnings on Sunday and some of its subsidiaries have already posted their own results.

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co. and Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Co. have both reported year-on-year declines in second-quarter earnings, although the falls were not as big as some analysts had expected.

Electrical Industries Co. fell 2.8 percent following a 55 percent drop in second-quarter profit.

The top gainers on Thursday were insurance companies United Cooperative Assurance, up 5.2 percent, and Buruj, which surged 4.7 percent. Both companies have posted second-quarter profits that compared with losses in the same period of 2014 and were significantly higher quarter-on-quarter.

Most other stocks in the sector also rose and the insurance sector index climbed 1.6 percent.