930.9 million dinars in stock market gains over two sessions
Ibrahim Muhammad: The Kuwait Stock Exchange launched with a strong start to the week, as listed shares added approximately 930.9 million dinars to their market capitalization in just two trading sessions. The market capitalization rose by 1.7%, from about 52.41 billion dinars at the end of last week’s trading to 53.3 billion dinars by the close of yesterday’s (Monday) session, clearly indicating a return of buying momentum and a broadening of gains across various market sectors. This performance reflects an improved appetite among investors for Kuwaiti stocks, amid positive moves involving a large number of listed companies, which simultaneously boosted key indices and market capitalization, while liquidity continued to flow into leading and mid-cap shares.
Trading data showed continued market activity in 2026, with total trading value reaching approximately 11.63 billion dinars during the first seven months, distributed across 44.29 billion shares executed through 2.90 million trades. These figures indicate that high levels of activity persist compared to many previous periods, with clear diversification in the traded shares and sectors. The market gains of approximately 930 million dinars in just two sessions signal a return of confidence to the market, especially as they coincided with rises in key indices, a broadening of gains, and improved liquidity levels.
Broad-based gains: The main indices of the Kuwait Stock Exchange ended yesterday’s (Monday) trading with broad-based gains, supported by rises in ten economic sectors, led by the insurance sector, which bolstered the market gains achieved since the start of the week. The First Market Index rose by 0.55%, while the General Index climbed by approximately 1.33%. The Main Market 50 Index increased by 0.73%, and the Main Market Index surged by 5.22% compared to last Sunday’s session levels, indicating an expanding circle of gains that was not limited to leading shares alone.
Upward trend: The rise was accompanied by a noticeable improvement in activity levels, with trading value reaching approximately 84.14 million dinars yesterday (Monday), involving 296.09 million shares traded through 19,490 executed trades. These figures confirm that the upward trend was supported by active trading, rather than being the result of limited movements, giving the current gains greater strength and sustainability if current liquidity levels continue. The increase in the number of rising sectors indicates that the rally covered a wide range of shares, contributing significantly to the notable increase in the stock exchange’s market capitalization over just two sessions.
Local investor: Official statistics revealed that Kuwaiti investors continued to play the primary driving role in the market during the first seven months of 2026. Statistics showed that Kuwaiti investors recorded a net buying position of 299.52 million dinars, after executing purchases worth 9.63 billion dinars against sales totaling 9.33 billion dinars, which helped maintain market balance and enhance trading stability. The statistics confirmed the continued dominance of local players in trading, as Kuwaiti investors’ purchases accounted for more than 82% of total market purchases, while their sales represented more than 80% of total sales. Foreign investors ranked second in terms of trading volume, followed by Gulf investors, reflecting the continued pivotal role of local capital in supporting market activity.
