Middle East equities were mixed on Wednesday, as investors priced in a U.S. rate cut later in the day and turned cautious ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech that could throw light on the central bank’s future rate path.
Traders expect a 25-basis-point cut, but Powell’s speech is expected to reveal the Fed’s stance, which carries heavy clout in the Gulf, where most currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar, anchoring regional monetary policy.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index inched up 1.3%, extending the previous session’s gains, supported by sector-wide strength. Oil behemoth Saudi Aramco gained 3.2%, marking its sharpest single-day rise in nearly two-and-a-half years and extending its winning streak to a third session amid renewed confidence in regional energy shares on steady oil prices.
Dubai’s main share index fell 0.1%, with selling concentrated in the real estate sector. Blue-chip company Emaar Properties slid 1.1%. Mashreqbank, however, jumped more than 1.5% as the lender launched a full-service digital retail bank in Pakistan. Shares of Dubai Investments gave up early losses to finish 0.7% higher, after the firm announced plans to sell up to 25% stake in its Dubai Investments Park real estate business through an initial public offering. In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark index edged down 0.3%, ending a four-day winning streak.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank declined 3%, as investors locked in profits from the recent rally, while First Abu Dhabi Bank lost more than 1%. Elsewhere, XRG, the international investment arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, announced that it, along with consortium partners, has withdrawn a non-binding $18.7 billion offer to acquire Australian gas producer Santos, capping a takeover saga that lasted months.
Qatar’s stock index rose 0.9%, supported by broad-based strength. Shares of Qatar National Bank, the region’s largest lender, and Qatar International Islamic Bank climbed 1.3% and 2.1%, respectively. “Fed’s dovish tone could signal further rate cuts this year, and could act as a catalyst for a regional market rebound following a recent period of losses,” said Joseph Dahrieh, Managing Principal at Tickmill.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index advanced 0.4%, boosted by a 1.4% jump in Commercial International Bank . Separately, New York-listed Chevron signed a deal with state-owned pipeline operator Israel Natural Gas Lines to kick-start construction of the Nitzana natural gas pipeline to transport gas from the Leviathan gasfield to Egypt.
- SAUDI ARABIA climbed 1.3%% to 10,650
- ABU DHABI dropped 0.3% to 10,038
- DUBAI slipped 0.1% to 5,991
- QATAR jumped 0.9% to 11,226
- EGYPT added 0.4% to 34,975
- BAHRAIN fell 0.4% to 1,925
- OMAN advanced 0.3% to 5,118
- KUWAIT was flat at 9,440
(Reporting by Amna Mariyam in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
