Tadawul Review: 

Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) rose for the third day on Thursday, gaining 45 points (+0.4%) to close at 11,932. The session opened on a positive note with a 6-point increase, and while the index initially peaked early, it then experienced a gradual decrease. However, just before the close, the index surged by 36 points, finishing in the green zone. In general, 17 out of 21 sectors closed in the green zone, and 162 shares rose while 71 fell. Banks (+0.9%), Materials (+0.7%), and Health care equipment and services (+1.2%) sectors contributed the most to the index rise. Stockwise, Riyad Bank (+3.6%), Al Rajhi Bank (+0.3%), and Saudi National Bank (+0.9%) were the major contributors. The trading activity witnessed an increase in volume by 23% to reach 410mn shares, while the value decreased by -16% to reach SAR5.8bn in value traded.

 

 

 

Market Wrap International:  

U.S. stocks mostly advanced on Friday, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite set new record highs following the release of the November jobs report, which exceeded expectations. The data, however, wasn't so robust that it would rule out a potential rate cut by the Federal Reserve later this month, keeping hopes alive for further easing. The Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 climbed by 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a notable decrease of -0.3%.

On Friday, European markets closed with modest gains as investors focused on the latest political news from France. The FTSE 100 fell by -0.5%, while the CAC 40 advanced 1.3%, the broader Euro STOXX 600 gained 0.2%, and the DAX was up by 0.1%.

Japanese stocks ended lower on Friday, with declines in the Transportation Equipment, Power, and Textile sectors driving the overall market down. Major Asian indices, including the Hang Seng and SHCOMP, gained by 1.6% and 1%, respectively. In contrast, the KOSPI and NIKKEI 225 saw losses of -0.6% and -0.8%.