Tadawul Index up but volume falls

The Saudi stock market ended yesterday’s trading session solidly in the green.
The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) spending almost entire session above the breakeven line edged higher to 7,214.06, up 38.7 points or 0.54 percent from previous level.
It performed within a trading range of 44 points yesterday.
All market cap indices finished to the upside, with Micro Cap advancing nearly one percent.
Thirteen out of Tadawul’s fifteen sectors extended gains, reflecting an accumulation of 433 points.
Industrial Investment and Cement were best performing sectors of the day, surging by 1.2 percent and 1.1 percent respectively.
Only Agriculture & Food Industries sector could not manage for gains, trimming less than ten points for the day. Energy & Utilities sector ended without any change.
Most of heavy weights rose from previous day’s levels, with market leader SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp.) surging by 1.66 percent and Kingdom holding 0.88 percent.
SABIC with a liquidity of SR 325.5 million also topped the value chart, reflecting a relative market share of 6.3 percent and closing at SR 91.75.
The advancers outnumbered declining stocks on the Tadawul (market); as for 68 percent stocks that gained, 21 percent ended lower and 11 percent remained unchanged.
Share price of National Agriculture Marketing Co. rallied to a maximum growth of 10 percent, clinching the spot as top gainer amongst Saudi stocks.
The company with a turnover SR 319.5 million positioned itself among the most liquid stocks, closing the day at SR 46.2 and ranking second.
Arabia Insurance Cooperative Company and National Gypsum Company were other significant gainers, moving up by 7.64 percent and 6.67 percent respectively.
Tadawul volume went down by 13.4 percent and traded 179.4 million shares as compared to previous day’s 207.2 million shares.
The 50-day average for trading volume is closer to 204.4 million shares.