DUBAI: Most Gulf equities ended higher on Sunday as investors anticipated a critical week ahead, focusing on key corporate earnings and the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, while President Donald Trump’s August 1 trade deadline loomed.
Gains were tempered by oil prices slipping to a three-week low, pressuring sentiment in a region where oil remains a key economic driver.
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index added 0.1%, helped by a 4% jump in healthcare provider Dr Sulaiman Al Habib and a 2.2% increase in SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co after the duo reported a rise in second-quarter profit.
Elsewhere, Yanbu National Petrochemical Co gained 2.9% after the firm reported a more than two-fold sequential increase in second-quarter profit.
Qatar’s stock index rose 0.3%, extending its winning streak into the new week after notching gains in all sessions last week, as it climbed to a fresh peak last seen over two and a half years ago.
Shares of index heavyweight Qatar International Islamic Bank
jumped nearly 3%, as investors positioned ahead of Monday’s dividend eligibility cutoff to secure an upcoming payout.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt’s blue-chip index - which traded after a session’s break - advanced 1.3%, hitting a fresh record high, with Commercial International Bank advancing 3.3%.
Investors across the region are also eyeing the US Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting, where rates are widely expected to remain unchanged at 4.25%–4.50%, despite renewed political pressure from Trump for cuts.
A rise in US inflation to 2.7% in June has clouded expectations for a potential rate reduction in September, with market odds narrowing to nearly 50-50.
Fed policy remains closely watched in the Gulf, where most currencies are pegged to the US dollar, making it a key anchor for regional monetary stability.
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