Muscat, May 16 (QNA) - The market capitalization of the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) fell by OMR 961.5 million last week, with total market value standing at OMR 37.38 billion at the close of trading on Thursday.

Trading data issued by the MSX showed a decline in market activity, with the number of traded securities dropping from 971.9 million to 738.1 million shares.

The value of traded shares also fell by 31.3 percent to OMR 249.4 million, compared with OMR 363.6 million the previous week, while the number of executed transactions declined by 12.8 percent to 26,432 from more than 30,000 deals.

The exchange's main index slipped below the 8,000-point mark, closing Thursday at 7,959 points, its lowest level in two months. The decline erased gains recorded since March 25, when the index crossed the level for the first time in 18 years.

The benchmark index lost around 390 points during the week amid a combination of local and global factors, including geopolitical tensions in the region and fluctuating oil prices, which weighed on investor sentiment and contributed to declines across most Gulf markets.

A total of 65 securities declined during the week, while 13 advanced and 15 remained unchanged.
All sector indices closed lower, led by the financial sector index, which dropped more than 500 points to 12,764 points.

The industrial sector index fell by 278 points, while the services sector index lost 91 points. The Sharia index also declined by around 23 points to close at 639 points. (QNA)