An investor looks on as he sits next to a screen showing stock prices at the FALCOM investment bank in Riyadh. The Saudi index yesterday jumped 3.0% in heavy trade to 9,144 points, breaking above chart resistance on the late December peak at 8,948 points; the next resistance is on the 100-day average, now at 9,436 points.
Reuters/Dubai
Saudi Arabia’s stock market rose sharply yesterday after King Salman ordered a lavish payout to state employees and oil prices jumped on reports of declining US drilling activity. Most other Gulf markets also climbed.
The Saudi index jumped 3.0% in heavy trade to 9,144 points, breaking above chart resistance on the late December peak at 8,948 points; the next resistance is on the 100-day average, now at 9,436 points.
The longer-term technical outlook also appears to have improved. A bullish symmetrical triangle triggered in the last few days, formed by the highs and lows since December, indicates the possibility of a rebound in coming weeks or months back to around 10,500 points.
Petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries, up 7.8%, was the main support yesterday.
Its surge mirrored that of Brent crude, which rose 8% to $52.99 a barrel on Friday after fresh data showed the number of rigs drilling for oil in the US fell by 7% during the week. This strengthened hopes that oil has finally bottomed out.
Another key factor was Salman’s order late on Thursday for the immediate payment of two months of bonus salary to all state employees and pension to retired government workers.
The salary payout alone could be worth up to around 70bn riyals ($18.6bn) - about 8% of the original state budget for 2015, or 2.5% of last year’s gross domestic product. Additional state spending was allocated to students, civic and professional associations around the country, and upgrading electricity and water services.
The move could boost Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product by 0.75% this year, said John Sfakianakis, regional director at fund management firm Ashmore Group, adding that retailers would be the first sector to benefit from it.
Stocks in the sector were among top gainers yesterday. Jarir Marketing surged 5.7%, United Electronics added 8.4% and Fawaz Alhokair rose its daily 10% limit.
Also on Thursday, Salman named financial lawyer Mohammed al-Jadaan the new head of the Capital Market Authority. Yesterday, Al-Hayat newspaper quoted al-Jadaan as saying the kingdom remained on track to open its $510bn stock market to direct foreign investment in the first half of this year.
“The new chairman has been involved on the side of many of the clients that have used the services of his law firm, and I think he understands very well how the market functions and also how the clients function within the umbrella of the CMA,” Sfakianakis said.
Dubai’s index jumped 4.5% to close at 3,840 points, its biggest daily gain in six weeks. Trading volume also rose in a positive technical sign.
Conglomerate Dubai Investments led gains and surged 13.8% after it said its board had proposed a higher dividend for 2014: 12% cash and 6% bonus shares. This compared with a 7% cash dividend and 7% bonus shares in the year-earlier period.
The firm’s board also approved the acquisition of a majority stake in investment company Al Mal Capital.
Abu Dhabi’s index jumped 2.2% on the back of large banks. National Bank of Abu Dhabi surged 4.3%, First Gulf Bank rose 2.9% and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank added 3.2%. The sector has reported generally strong fourth-quarter results.
“The eight UAE banks under coverage have all reported, with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank representing the only one of the eight to disappoint in terms of the net profit outturn and recommended distribution,” NBAD Securities said in a note yesterday.
Egypt’s bourse edged down 0.6% after one of the bloodiest attacks on security forces in years, in which Islamic State’s Egyptian wing claimed the killing of at least 30 soldiers and police officers in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday.
Shares in investment bank EFG Hermes dropped 2.4% after it cancelled plans for the sale of nearly 37mn shares held by its subsidiary because offers from the market had not met its expectations.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Kuwait’s index rose 1.0% to 6,637 points; Oman’s index edged up 0.2% to 6,572 points, while Bahrain’s index edged down 0.5% to 1,418 points.
