Most Gulf markets in red ahead of US data, on oil demand concerns
By Ateeq Shariff
Aug 13 (Reuters) -Most stock markets in the Gulf ended lower on Tuesday ahead of a slew of data being released this week, including U.S. inflation, that will help sharpen views on the Federal Reserve's next moves, and amid concerns about oil demand.
Markets are evenly split between a cut of 25 bps and 50 bps at the next meeting in September. Traders are pricing in a total of 100 bps of cuts this year. FEDWATCH
U.S. producer price data for July, due later in the day, could feed through to the core personal consumption (PCE) measure favoured by the Fed.
Monetary policy in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is usually guided by the Fed's decisions, as most regional currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar.
Dubai's main share index .DFMGI dropped 0.4%, with sharia-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank DISB.DU losing 1.7% and top lender Emirates NBD ENBD.DU was down 0.5%.
In Abu Dhabi, the index .FTFADGI lost 0.4%.
The Qatari benchmark .QSI eased 0.2%, hit by a 0.8% fall in petrochemical maker Industries Qatar IQCD.QA.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI, however, gained 0.5%, with oil giant Saudi Aramco 2222.SE rising 0.9% and telecoms firm Etihad Etisalat Co 7020.SE gaining 3%.
OPEC cut its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2024 on Monday, citing softer expectations for China, a reduction that highlights the dilemma faced by the wider OPEC+ group in raising production from October.
This is the first cut in OPEC's 2024 forecast since it was made in July 2023, and comes after mounting signs that demand in China has lagged expectations due to slumping diesel consumption and as a crisis in the property sector hampers the economy.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 retreated 1.3%, dragged down by a 1.7% fall in top lender Commercial International Bank COMI.CA.
SAUDI ARABIA | .TASI rose 0.5% to 11,797 |
ABU DHABI | .FTFADGI fell 0.4% to 9,175 |
DUBAI | .DFMGI down 0.4% to 4,185 |
QATAR | .QSI lost 0.2% to 10,071 |
EGYPT | .EGX30 lost 1.3% to 29,331 |
BAHRAIN | .BAX eased 0.1% to 1,934 |
OMAN | .MSX30 dropped 0.6% to 4,660 |
KUWAIT | .BKP declined 0.8% to 7,620 |
Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Alan Barona
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