Stocks Market
Casablanca Stock Exchange Retreats as MASI Index Falls 0.27% in Thursday Trading
Morocco's main stock index concluded Thursday's session in negative territory, with the MASI benchmark declining 0.27% to close at 18,785.40 points. The pullback marks a reversal after recent attempts at recovery, pushing the index's year-to-date performance deeper into the red at -0.32%. The session saw broad-based weakness across major indices, with trading volume reaching MAD 248.4 million as market participants navigated mixed corporate performances.
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The Casablanca Stock Exchange experienced a setback during Thursday's trading session, with the benchmark MASI index declining 0.27% to settle at 18,785.40 points. This downturn represents a pause in the market's momentum after recent upward attempts, bringing the index's year-to-date performance to -0.32% and keeping it firmly in negative territory.
Broad Market Weakness Across Key Indices
The decline wasn't isolated to the main index, as weakness spread across the exchange's principal benchmarks. The MASI 20, which tracks the twenty largest companies, shed 0.27% to close at 1,353.07 points. This movement has pushed the blue-chip index's year-to-date performance to -8.92%, reflecting a more pronounced downturn among the market's largest constituents.
Meanwhile, the MASI ESG index demonstrated relative resilience, limiting its decline to just 0.08% to finish at 1,401.47 points. Notably, this sustainability-focused index maintains a positive annual performance of 11.98%, standing out as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise challenging year for Moroccan equities.
The MASI Mid index, representing mid-cap stocks, fell 0.32% to 1,808.10 points, bringing its year-to-date decline to -1.81%.
Futures Market Mirrors Cash Weakness
The derivatives market tracked the cash market's negative sentiment closely. MASI 20 futures contracts across various maturities all registered losses. The June 2027 contract declined 0.27% to 1,346.20 points, while the March 2027 contract also fell 0.27% to 1,348.30 points. Near-term contracts for September 2026 and December 2026 dropped 0.27% and 0.24% respectively, settling at 1,352.80 and 1,350.80 points.
Trading Activity and Market Capitalization
Trading volume on the cash market totaled MAD 248.41 million for the session. The overall market capitalization stood at MAD 1,105.91 billion, reflecting the day's price movements.
Top Performers Buck Downward Trend
Despite the overall negative market tone, several stocks posted notable gains. BCI led the gainers with an impressive 2.45% surge to MAD 618.90. SNP and CRS both advanced 2.05%, closing at MAD 349 and MAD 22.45 respectively. RIS climbed 1.56% to MAD 326, while SOT added 1.47% to finish at MAD 364.90.
Heaviest Decliners
On the downside, MDP suffered the session's steepest loss, plummeting 4.12% to MAD 24.65. SMI declined 3.65% to MAD 6,600, and HPS fell 2.99% to MAD 650. TMA dropped 2.21% to MAD 1,503, while INV rounded out the biggest losers with a 2.09% decline to MAD 126.30.