JEDDAH: A rebound in global oil prices and decisions by state-controlled companies to pay cash bonuses to employees boosted Saudi Arabia’s stock market on Monday, while other Gulf bourses were mixed in choppy trading.

Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed 0.76 percent higher at 9,213.14 points on Monday. The index is up 10.56 percent so far this year.

Petrochemicals firm Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC), the Kingdom’s largest listed company, jumped 2.4 percent on Monday; other stocks in the sector also climbed.

Petrochemical prices are linked to oil and the sector was hit hard in a sell-off triggered by oil’s plunge last year.

Retailers also performed well on Monday: Fawaz Alhokair surged 8.8 percent and Jarir Marketing jumped 2.6 percent.

Investors were less enthusiastic about the companies which will use their resources to pay out the cash; shares in Saudi Electricity edged up 0.6 percent, while Saudi Telecom fell 0.8 percent.

According to a official data, TASI ended January at 8,878.54, surged 545.24 points or 6.54 percent over the close of the previous month.

After falling in 2014, the Saudi stock market rebounded in January this year.

The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) ended January at 8,878.54, surged 545.24 points or 6.54 percent over the close of the previous month, according to Tadawul’s Statistical Report.

Highest close level for the index was 8,912.50 points as on Jan. 28.

On an YTD basis, TASI registered a positive increase of 6.54 percent (545.24 points) at the end of January.

The report said total equity market capitalization at the end of January 2015 reached SR1.92 trillion ($511.66 billion), increased by 5.84 percent over the close of the previous month.


The total value of shares traded for the month of January 2015 reached SR162.47 billion ($43.33 billion), dropped by (19.98 percent) over the previous month.

The total number of shares traded reached 6.74 billion during in January compared to 7.74 billion shares traded for the previous month, decreased by 12.87 percent.

The total number of transactions executed during January reached 3.07 million compared to 3.82 million trades for the month of December 2014, fell by 19.80 percent.

The value of shares traded by “Individual” was SR146.93 billion (90.13 percent) for buying, and SR150.90 billion (92.56 percent) for selling in January.


The value of shares traded by “Institution” was SR14.80 billion (9.08 percent) for buying, and SR10.11 billion (6.20 percent) for selling, the report said.


The value of shares traded by “Foreigner (SWAP)” was SR1.30 billion (0.80 percent) for buying, and SR2.01 billion (1.24 percent) for selling.


The Tadawul report said value of shares traded by “Saudi” was SR156.60 billion (96.06 percent) for buying, and SR155.78 billion (95.55 percent) for selling in January.

The value of shares traded by “GCC” was SR2.45 billion (1.51 percent) for buying, and SR2.34 billion (1.43 percent) for selling.


The value of shares traded by “Foreigner (Resident & SWAP)” was SR3.97 billion (2.44 percent) for buying, and SR4.91 billion (3.01 percent) for selling.