The Kuwait Stock Exchange recorded its highest level of traded liquidity since the beginning of 2026 on Thursday, driven by portfolio adjustments linked to periodic reviews of the Standard & Poor’s and FTSE Russell indices. Total liquidity surged by 40.3 percent to reach 220 million dinars, while trading volumes rose 23.1 percent to 811.6 million shares.
Market activity was heavily concentrated in the First Market, which accounted for 159.6 million dinars, or 72.5 percent of total session liquidity. The segment’s market capitalization stood at 43.53 billion dinars, supported by active participation from local and foreign portfolios as well as institutional investors.
The Main Market recorded liquidity of 60.39 million dinars, representing 27.45 percent of total trading, with a market value of 8.73 billion dinars. Analysts noted that index-related flows and institutional reallocations played a key role in boosting turnover across both segments.
Sector-wise, banking stocks dominated trading activity, attracting 92.3 million dinars—around 42 percent of total liquidity. The real estate sector followed with 46.88 million dinars, or 21.3 percent, while industrial stocks accounted for 32.69 million dinars, representing 14.85 percent of trades.
Despite the strong intraday activity, market indices closed lower on the day. The general index fell 0.61 percent, the First Market index declined 0.63 percent, and the Main Market index slipped 0.55 percent, while the Main 50 index edged down 0.13 percent, a local Arabic daily reports.
However, weekly performance remained positive. The general index rose 0.43 percent over the week to close at 8,760.16 points, while the First Market index gained 0.37 percent to 9,220.7 points. The Main Market index advanced 0.7 percent, and the Main 50 index outperformed with a 1.25 percent gain.
Market capitalization of listed companies increased by 222 million dinars, or 0.42 percent, reaching 52.49 billion dinars. Overall liquidity rose nearly 49 percent to 654.62 million dinars, while trading volumes climbed 31.15 percent to 2.48 billion shares. The number of transactions also rose by 15.6 percent, despite the week being shortened to four sessions due to the Islamic New Year holiday.
Analysts attributed the broader weekly gains to positive sentiment stemming from the US-Iran agreement and global index review effects, which helped offset end-of-week profit-taking pressure.
