LONDON: The pound on Friday gave back some of the gains it made the day before as investors reassessed whether British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had made any progress in convincing the European Union to renegotiate the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s comments on Thursday that a solution to the Irish border question post-Brexit could be found before Oct. 31, the deadline for Britain to leave the EU, triggered a sharp rally in the pound.
But many analysts said the comments reflected market positioning rather than any confidence Britain and the EU would renegotiate their agreement to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
“The market is very short and that is naturally going to make the market very sensitive to any news (that makes them think)...have we got this wrong?,” said Jane Foley, a strategist at Rabobank.
“I’ve not read an awful lot into these moves,” she said, adding that thin summer liquidity had exacerbated this week’s volatility.
Sterling fell 0.5% to $1.2197 on Friday, retreating from the 3-week high hit on Thursday.
Versus euro the pound was down 0.4% on the day at 90.770 pence.
Sterling falls as doubts about Brexit backstop hopes grow
Sterling falls as doubts about Brexit backstop hopes grow
- Sterling fell 0.5% to $1.2197 on Friday, retreating from the 3-week high hit on Thursday
- Angela Merkel previously suggested a solution to the Irish border question could be found
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,414
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Wednesday, shedding 38.85 points, or 0.37 percent, to finish at 10,414.06.
Total trading turnover on the benchmark index reached SR3.46 billion ($920 million), with 123 stocks advancing and 134 declining.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also shed 41.61 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 23,428.67.
The MSCI Tadawul Index edged down 0.45 percent to 1,368.36.
Arabian Drilling Co. was the best-performing stock on the main market, with its share price rising 6.8 percent to SR102.90.
Naqi Water Co. gained 4.30 percent to SR58.25, while Saudi Ground Services Co. advanced 3.78 percent to SR38.42.
Tihama Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing Co. saw its share price fall 4.95 percent to SR16.31.
AlAhli REIT Fund 1 also declined 3.53 percent to SR6.29.
On the announcements front, United Mining Industries Co., listed on the parallel market, said it has begun commercial production of gypsum board at its plant in Yanbu.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said the financial impact of the project’s commercial production will be reflected in the first quarter of 2026.
United Mining Industries Co.’s share price was unchanged, closing at SR42.54.
Dkhoun National Trading Co. said its shareholders approved the board’s recommendation to distribute interim dividends on a semi-annual or quarterly basis for 2025.
According to a Tadawul statement, shareholders also approved transferring the balance of the company’s statutory reserve, valued at SR2.43 million, to retained earnings.
Dkhoun National Trading Co.’s shares saw no trades and closed at SR65.
