The Bahrain All Share Index and the Bahrain Islamic Index both closed lower yesterday as trading activity was dominated by the basic materials sector.
The Bahrain All Share Index ended the day at 2,064.35 points, marking a slight dip of 1.74 points or 0.08 per cent from the previous session. Similarly, the Bahrain Islamic Index shed 2.17 points, closing at 1,026.04 points, a decrease of 0.21pc.
Investors traded a total of 3.24 million shares during the session, with an aggregate value of BD1.37m reached across 84 transactions.
The Basic Materials sector was the primary focus of investor interest. Trading in this sector alone reached a value of BD727,740, representing 53pc of the day’s total trading value, with 661,630 shares changing hands in 29 deals.
Three major entities accounted for the bulk of the day’s turnover.
Alba ranked first with BD727,742 in traded value (53pc of total), involving 661,630 shares.
GFH Financial Group secured the second spot with a trading value of BD373,827 (27.23pc of total) and a volume of 1.60m shares.
Al Salam Bank came in third with BD170,282 in value (12.40pc of total) on a volume of 763,150 shares.
Out of the 11 companies that saw activity yesterday, the prices of two companies increased, while four companies declined. The remaining firms maintained their previous closing prices.
Meanwhile, most stock markets in the Gulf eased yesterday in thin trade, despite firmer oil prices, although crude is on track for its largest annual decline since 2020. Oil prices, a catalyst for the Gulf’s financial markets, rose for a sixth day, supported by robust US growth data and the risk of supply disruptions from Venezuela and Russia.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index dropped 0.5pc, snapping four sessions of gains, with Al Rajhi Bank losing 0.9pc.
Negative sentiment dominated the session, resulting in declines across most sectors, said XTB Mena analyst Milad Azar. “Although the recent rebound in oil prices and expectations of two Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026 initially boosted sentiment, crude oversupply concerns could continue to weigh on the market,” Azar said.
Dubai’s main share index finished flat, while Abu Dhabi’s index ended down 0.2pc. The Qatari benchmark edged 0.1pc higher, with Qatar National Bank, the Gulf’s biggest lender by assets, up 0.5pc.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index was up 0.2pc, with Commercial International Bank gaining 0.9pc. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund said it had reached a staff-level agreement with Egypt on the fifth and sixth reviews of its Extended Fund Facility, a step that could pave the way for about $2.5bn in programme disbursements.
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