Demand concerns send chemical giant SABIC’s shares down despite profit jump

Despite a 33 percent profit jump, the chemical major said it expects a drop in demand and rising costs to weigh on earnings for the rest of the year.
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Updated 12 May 2022
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Demand concerns send chemical giant SABIC’s shares down despite profit jump

RIYADH: Shares of the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. went down on Thursday after the chemical giant’s CEO revealed concerns about the outlook for chemicals' demand amid rising inflation.

The Riyadh-based firm saw its share price drop by 1.6 percent to SR121 ($32.3) at the closing bell, hours after it announced a surge in first-quarter profit.

Despite a 33 percent profit jump, the chemical major said it expects a drop in demand and rising costs to weigh on earnings for the rest of the year.

CEO Yousef Al-Benyan said that the global economic slowdown is anticipated to weigh on demand for chemicals in the second half of the year.

He said in the previous quarter the average cost “increased by 3 percent compared to the fourth quarter in 2021, and by 90 percent in the first quarter of 2021.”


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,847

Updated 25 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,847

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Wednesday, losing 58.51 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 10,847.93.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.78 billion ($1 billion), as 73 of the listed stocks advanced, while 187 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 7.09 points or 0.48 percent, to close at 1,472.98.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 178.75 points, or 0.77 percent, to close at 22,916.83. This comes as 30 of the listed stocks advanced, while 37 retreated.

The best-performing stock was the Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu, with its share price surging by 8.47 percent to SR31.24.

Other top performers included Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.13 percent to SR53.70, and Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory Co., which saw a 4.58 percent increase to SR137.

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., whose share price fell by 5.14 percent to SR17.53.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. and Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co. also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 4.87 percent and 4.43 percent to SR4.88 and SR181.40, respectively.

On the announcement front, Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. announced its annual financial results for 2025, with sales dropping 3.06 percent year-on-year to SR8.45 billion. The company also recorded a net loss of SR893.86 million.

In a Tadawul statement, the company said the net loss and decline in annual sales were driven by a drop in average selling prices, despite higher sales volumes.