Arab News
Arab News, Thu, Mar 20, 2025 | Ramadan 20, 1446
Closing Bell: Saudi main index edges down 0.7% to close at 11,709
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index
slipped on Wednesday, as it shed 82.97 points or 0.70 percent to close at
11,709.43.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index
was SR4.55 billion ($1.21 billion), with 66 stocks advancing and 174 declining.
The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, also shed
35.29 points to close at 30,683.64. The MSCI Tadawul Index declined by 0.59
percent to 1,484.07.
The best-performing stock on the main market was
United International Holding Co. The firm’s share surged by 3.49 percent to
SR172.
Conversely, the share price of the Mediterranean
and Gulf Insurance and Reinsurance Co. declined by 10 percent to SR20.70.
On the announcements front, several major Saudi
companies released their annual financial results for the period ending Dec. 31,
2024, showcasing mixed performances across industries.
Sahara International Petrochemical Co., also known
as SIPCHEM, reported a 63.74 percent decrease in net profit, reaching SR462.1
million, compared to SR1.175 billion in the previous year. This decline was
primarily due to higher feedstock and raw material costs, a decline in revenue,
and decreased zakat expenses during the year.
The company saw a 2.99 percent drop in its share
price on Wednesday to settle at SR21.46.
Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co.
posted a 3.15 percent decrease in net profit, reaching SR4.54 billion, down from
SR4.69 billion in the prior year. The company, in a statement to Tadawul, said
this decline was due to a one-time expense, lower sales and margins, and higher
costs of key feedstock.
Its share price saw a 0.43 percent increase to
reach SR6.93.
Meanwhile, Saudi Real Estate Co. saw a significant
218.19 percent increase in net profit to SR215.1 million, up from SR67.7 million
in the previous year. The increase was primarily attributed to a 42.64 percent
increase in operating profit, a 181 percent increase in the company’s share of
profit from an associate and the joint venture, and a 39 percent decrease in
zakat expenses recorded during 2024.
Saudi Real Estate Co.’s stock price shed 1.76
percent to reach SR25.75.
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, or
Bahri, reported a 34.46 percent increase in net profit, reaching SR2.169
billion, compared to SR1.613 billion in the previous year. The growth was driven
by the improvement of operational performance and global shipping rates in
several business units of the group.
The company’s stock price grew 2.33 percent to
reach SR30.20.