Local Investors Lift Muscat Stock Exchange Turnover

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, July 26, 2026

Omani investors increased their purchases on the Muscat Stock Exchange last week, with local buying reaching RO 154 million amid widespread share price declines despite strong corporate earnings. This intensified trading activity occurred as the market index fell by 363 points and market capitalization dropped by RO 877.9 million, signaling ongoing downward pressure despite investor interest.

Investors on the Muscat Stock Exchange saw increased activity last week as Omani buyers took advantage of declining share prices and robust corporate earnings reported in the first half of the year. Local purchases exceeded RO 154 million, up from around RO 125 million the previous week, accounting for 84.7 percent of the total market turnover.

Overall trading value rose by 33 percent to approximately RO 182.7 million, up from RO 137 million the prior week. Local investors dominated sales as well, making up 74.7 percent of total sales volume. Despite this surge in buying interest from individual investors, funds, and institutional buyers, selling pressure persisted across a broad segment of the market.

During the week, the prices of 65 securities declined, compared to gains in 13 stocks, while 22 shares remained unchanged. The main MSX index dropped 363 points to close Thursday at 7,117, following a 163-point decline the previous week. Sector-specific indices also reflected negative momentum, with the financial sector index leading the downturn by losing 412 points. The industrial and services indices fell by 275 and 155 points, respectively, while the Sharia index declined 23 points to settle at 572.

Consequently, the market capitalization contracted by RO 877.9 million during the week, falling to RO 37.17 billion due to the overall decline in share prices.

Among individual stocks, Bank Muscat was the most actively traded, with turnover reaching RO 40.2 million, representing 22 percent of total market activity. The bank’s shares experienced volatility, trading as low as 369 baisa before finishing at 383 baisa, down nine baisa over the week. Earlier in the year, Bank Muscat shares had reached levels above 500 baisa.

Sohar International also recorded significant trading, with turnover of RO 27.9 million, accounting for 15.2 percent of the market's total. The bank recently launched a rights issue amounting to approximately 1.06 billion shares offered at 141 baisa each, which likely contributed to the heightened investor interest.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.