Most stock markets in the Gulf put in a mixed performance on Monday amid rising oil prices, while investors awaited U.S. inflation data to gauge the Federal Reserve's policy path for the rest of the year.
Oil prices, a catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets, were up 0.6% with Brent settling at $83.3 a barrel by 1300 GMT.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index (.TASI), opens new tab bounced back after two straight sessions of losses and rose 0.4%, supported by a 5.7% increase in ACWA Power (2082.SE), opens new tab and a 0.6% gain in Saudi National Bank(1180.SE), opens new tab, the kingdom's largest lender.
Among other gainers, Riyadh Cables Group (4142.SE), opens new tab climbed 5% after the cable maker posted a 35.3% rise in its quarterly net profit.
The Qatari benchmark index (.QSI), opens new tab was up for a fourth consecutive session and ended 0.3% higher, lifted by gains in industry, finance and materials sectors.
Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA), opens new tab advanced 1.4% and Industries Qatar(IQCD.QA), opens new tab gained 0.8%, while Qatar National Bank(QNBK.QA), opens new tab, the region's largest lender, added 0.3%.
In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark index (.FTFADGI), opens new tab was little changed with conglomerate Alpha Dhabi (ALPHADHABI.AD), opens new tab dropping 1.3% and ADNOC Drilling (ADNOCDRILL.AD), opens new tab adding 4.3%.
ADNOC Drilling, the energy giant ADNOC's drilling unit, reported a 26% rise in its first quarter net profit and announced a new dividend policy to increase payout by at least 10% annually for five years.
Dubai's benchmark index (.DFMGI), opens new tab ended flat with Emirates Central Cooling Systems (EMPOWER.DU), opens new tab and Ajman Bank (AJBNK.DU), opens new tab sliding 4.4% and 4.1%, respectively. However, the blue-chip developer Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU), opens new tab rose 1.5% and Aramex (ARMX.DU), opens new tab climbed 3.6%.
The logistics firm Aramex on Friday reported a 95% increase in quarterly net profit.
The crucial U.S. core consumer price index is due on Wednesday, with hotter-than-expected data ruling out any rate-cut hopes from the Fed.
Most Gulf currencies are pegged to the dollar, and any U.S. monetary policy change is usually mimicked by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30), opens new tab was up 0.9%, aided by gains in materials, industry, real estate and finance sectors, with Talaat Mostafa Group (TMGH.CA), opens new tab rising 3.2% and Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA), opens new tab advancing 2%.
COMI, Egypt's biggest private lender, posted a 97% surge in its first-quarter net income.
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