Saudi stocks climbed to a new peak in record volumes in the week to Thursday, buoyed by earnings-fueled gains by blue chips, especially by banks, it was reported today.
The all-share index of the largest Arab bourse closed at 5,459.57 points, up 3.1 percent from a week earlier. It is up 23 percent this year after rising 76 percent in 2003. Strong oil revenues have been a boon for the economy of the world's biggest crude exporter, helping corporate earnings and boosting investor liquidity in a year-long rally. Turnover hit an all-time weekly high of SR42.5 billion ($11.3 billion), up from last week's SR32.2 billion, itself a record at the time.
Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp., the largest listed bank, added 4.4 percent to SR1,118 after posting 40 percent higher first-quarter net profits of SR625 million.
Samba Financial Group rose 3.3 percent to SR498 after its net profits grew 21 percent to SR581 million. Sole telecoms provider STC gained 2.8 percent to SR510 riyals, while industrial giant SABIC closed 1.6 percent higher at SR468.
All but five of the bourse's 71 stocks gained in the week.
