Renewed worries about the eurozone's debt crisis dragged Saudi Arabia's bourse to a two-week low, while other Middle East markets rallied on Tuesday to extend early-year gains. The Kingdom's large-caps declined, including Al Rajhi Bank and telecom operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), which fell 1.1 and 1.3 percent respectively.
Saudi's main benchmark fell 0.5 percent to 6,993 points, its lowest close since January 21. It failed to hold above 7,000, a key psychological level. "The market is taking cues from global events and it was looking heavy around 7,000," said Muhammad Faisal Potrik, a research analyst at Riyad Capital. "Investors were being cautious on a neutral local backdrop."
Saudi investors often look to global markets for their cues when there is little local news to trade on. European shares and the euro steadied on Tuesday, a day after a sharp selloff caused by rising political risks in southern Europe. Elsewhere, Cairo's market made a fifth straight gain, rising 0.8 percent to its highest close since January 9 as foreign investors - unswayed by Egypt's volatile political backdrop - increased positions. Trading volumes hit a three-month peak.
Orascom Construction Industries advanced 0.8 percent and Commercial International Bank climbed 0.4 percent. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's benchmark rose 0.2 percent, extending 2013 gains to 15.2 percent, and Abu Dhabi's index hit a fresh 34-month high, with banks the main supports on both markets. Many of the country's lenders posted strong quarterly earnings as provisions decreased and their stocks are expected to provide high dividend yields.
"We think shifting to high dividend stocks in the upcoming volatile environment is a safe option as they are expected to perform better than the rest of the market," Al Masah Capital said in a note. In Kuwait, the measure climbed 0.5 percent to an 8-month high as investors bet government spending plans will be put into action. "We suspected a bit of government activity yesterday on a few stocks but today the trading is mainly retail," said a Kuwait-based trader who asked not to be identified.
"The government doesn't seem to be holding back anything but we're looking for a proper spending plan to tackle the macro situation." Under a four-year plan expected to end in 2014, the government is supposed to spend 30 billion dinars ($107 billion) on industrial and infrastructure projects. Despite extended delays, investors are hopeful that relative political stability will help kick-start these projects. Ahli United Bank jumped 4.6 percent to a near 11-month high after the bank said it made a profit of $212.9 million on a stake sale in Qatar's Ahli Bank.
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