The Saudi stock market index (TASI) recorded a notable increase at the start of trading on Thursday, rising by 0.35% to reach 10,985 points. The opening session witnessed active trading volume, with the value of trades reaching approximately SAR 526.7 million, reflecting a sense of optimism among traders at the end of the trading week.
According to data from the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), the volume of shares traded in the first few minutes reached about 20 million shares, while the total market value of listed shares remained stable at 9.242 trillion riyals, confirming the leading position of the Saudi market as the largest financial market in the region.
Company and sector performance
The session began with a broad-based positive momentum, with 210 companies seeing their shares rise, compared to only 46 companies whose shares declined, out of a total of 268 companies listed on the general index. The insurance and healthcare sectors led the gainers, with Bupa Arabia, Saudi German Healthcare, Emaar, Al Rajhi Takaful, and United Insurance among the top performers. Conversely, Al-Drees, Ma'aden, Industries, Aseeg, and Amac recorded the most significant declines at the start of trading.
Parallel Market Index (Nomu)
In parallel with the main market, the Nomu Parallel Market Index opened trading on Thursday in positive territory, rising 0.2% to reach 23,416 points. Trading volume on Nomu reached approximately SAR 1.6 million, with 135,700 shares traded, bringing the market capitalization to SAR 40.35 million. Eleven companies saw their share prices rise, while seven companies experienced declines, out of a total of 125 listed companies.
Economic importance and market context
The performance of the Saudi stock market is of particular importance as it is a mirror reflecting the health of the national economy and the interaction of investors with the ongoing economic reforms within the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The index's exceeding levels close to the 11,000-point mark is an important technical and psychological indicator for investors, as it enhances confidence in the strength of listed companies and their ability to grow despite global economic challenges.
These moves come at a time when the Saudi financial market is undergoing ongoing structural developments aimed at attracting foreign investment and enhancing market efficiency. This has made the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) a focus of attention for global investment funds, particularly after its inclusion in global emerging market indices. The divergent performance of sectors today, with the insurance and healthcare sectors outperforming, reflects the diversity of investment opportunities in the market and its lack of over-reliance on the energy and petrochemical sectors alone, which aligns with the goals of diversifying the national economy.
