By Ateeq Shariff
May 18 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf ended mixed on Sunday, with investors seeking new catalysts as optimism over the U.S.-China trade agreement started to fade.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI fell 0.4%, hit by a 0.9% fall in Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE and a 1% decrease in the country's biggest lender Saudi National Bank 1180.SE.
Oil - a driver for the Gulf's financial markets - settled higher on Friday, notching a second straight week of gains on easing U.S.-China trade tensions, though prices were held back by expectations of higher supply from Iran and OPEC+.
The Qatari index .QSI gained 0.6%, led by a 2.1% rise in Qatar Islamic Bank QISB.QA.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 retreated 0.7%, weighed down by a 2.4% slide in tobacco monopoly Eastern Company EAST.CA.
SAUDI ARABIA | .TASI lost 0.4% to 11,439 |
QATAR | .QSI gained 0.6% to 10,575 |
EGYPT | .EGX30 down 0.7% to 31,714 |
BAHRAIN | .BAX finished flat at 1,921 |
OMAN | .MSX30 added 0.6% to 4,436 |
KUWAIT | .BKP dropped 0.3% to 8,735 |
(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru;Editing by Helen Popper)
((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788;))
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.