The First Market Boosts Stock Exchange Performance... Liquidity Rises 20%

The First Market at the Kuwait Stock Exchange posted positive performance during today’s session, reclaiming leadership in trading activity and supporting market gains after several of its shares, including leading stocks, recorded solid increases amid strong investor buying interest.

The exchange opened with broad-based gains across its indices and continued to build on these gains for most of the trading session. However, selling pressure on some shares in the Main Market pushed its index to close in the red, while the First Market and General Market indices managed to retain their gains and closed in positive territory.

The stock market benefited from continued geopolitical calm in the region, which positively influenced investor sentiment, coinciding with the start of the release of first-half earnings results. So far, these results have exceeded expectations, bolstering confidence in the market and sustaining momentum in several leading stocks.

Many shares posted positive performance during the session. STC and Al-Watani led the list of the biggest gainers in the First Market, while Tamayoz and Kufpec topped the list of the biggest gainers across the entire market.

Liquidity rose by 20 percent to reach 84.9 million dinars, compared to 70.1 million dinars in yesterday’s session. The First Market accounted for the largest share of this liquidity at 65 percent, while the Main Market captured the remaining 35 percent.

A total of 129 shares were traded, with 53 rising, 56 falling, and 20 remaining unchanged. Weighted indices rose for five sectors in the market, led by the telecommunications sector with a 1.32 percent gain and the technology sector with a 0.84 percent increase. Meanwhile, indices fell for seven sectors, headed by the basic materials sector with a 0.71 percent decline and the insurance sector with a 0.42 percent drop, while the utilities sector remained flat.

In terms of index details, the General Market Index rose by approximately 43.33 points, or 0.50 percent, to reach 8,740 points. A total of 304.1 million shares were traded through 19,271 deals.

The First Market Index also rose by approximately 59.76 points, or 0.65 percent, closing at 9,183 points. Trading value reached 54.8 million dinars, with 131.2 million shares exchanged through 10,050 deals.

Conversely, the Main Market Index fell by approximately 23.23 points, or 0.26 percent, to 8,790 points. Liquidity stood at 30 million dinars, with trading volumes of 172.9 million shares executed through 9,221 deals.

Market capitalization gains over the Sunday and Monday sessions totaled approximately 473.7 million dinars, bringing the total market cap to 52.32 billion dinars.

Regarding the most actively traded shares by value, Al-Watani ranked first with a trading value of 15.2 million dinars, closing at 845 fils. It was followed by Baitak with 8.8 million dinars, closing at 780 fils, then Watania with 5.2 million dinars, closing at 138 fils, Arkan with 3 million dinars, closing at 298 fils, and Sanaya fifth with 2.2 million dinars, closing at 230 fils.

Tamayoz topped the list of the biggest gainers with a 6.96 percent increase, albeit with only 175 shares traded, closing at 369 fils. It was followed by Kufpec with a 3.57 percent gain, trading 1.3 million shares and closing at 145 fils, then Rasayat with a 3.33 percent rise, trading 2.5 million shares and closing at 620 fils, Al-Nakheel with a 3.32 percent increase, trading 1.5 million shares and closing at 280 fils, and Mashael fifth with a 3.25 percent gain, trading 2.6 million shares and closing at 127 fils.

On the other hand, SNAM shares fell by 6.78 percent to top the list of the most declining stocks, with a trading volume of 5.4 million shares, closing at 330 fils. Alinma Investment followed with a 4.51 percent decline, trading 9.6 million shares and dropping to 127 fils. Bayt Almal (Energy Home) came next with a 3.41 percent drop, trading 25,000 shares and closing at 255 fils. Al-Takhsis (Specialization) fell by 3.40 percent, with a trading volume of 7.6 million shares, declining to 142 fils. Fifth was Hotels Company, down 3.30 percent, trading approximately 172,300 shares and closing at 205 fils.