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• Tadawul market starts with gains into the week

  Amid a bullish market breadth, the Saudi Stock Exchange ended 1.14% higher at 7,229.02 Saturday. Backwind from a the best reading in U. S. consumer sentiment in 6 year as reported last Friday raised the mood in Riyadh. Sabic climbed to a 1-month high, ending up 0.75% at SR92. The insurance sector recovered from its baisse it saw last week and gained 5.31%, the highest advance among the industry segments. Saudi Hollandi Bank lost the most, finishing down 1.97% at SR29.80. 143 stocks advanced, while 9 declined. Earlier last week, Burkhard P. Varnholt, the CIO of Swiss bank Sarasin & Co. Ltd. said on the global stock market rally "we may assume that it will last for at least another five years, because the political costs of its suspension grow disproportionately every year."
  
  
  

• IMF tells Bahrain to 'urgently' cut public debt

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that Bahrain, which last year boosted state spending, urgently needs to reform its economy to stop its debt burden becoming unsustainable, Reuters has reported. The kingdom raised its original 2012 expenditure plan by almost 19% in September 2011 after protesters took to the streets of the capital Manama to demand reforms. "Overall fiscal deficits are projected to widen and public debt is estimated to continue on a rising path that could become unsustainable, reaching 61% of GDP as early as 2018," the IMF said in a report, following regular consultations with the kingdom.
  
  

• Depa shares soar after Arabtec influence clarified

  The FTSE NASDAQ Dubai UAE 20 Index closed 0.10% lower at 2578.71. Dubai-based interior design firm Depa Limited jumped 10% in value to close at $0.44. Arabtec Construction, which has a 25% stake in Depa Limited said earlier in the day, 4 Arabtec top managers, among them Arabtec CEO Hasan Abdullah Ismaik, have been voted to the board at Depa following the interior design firm's annual general meeting, Construction Weekly reported.
  
  

• Qatar Exchange loses slightly

  The QE 20 Index fell 0.20% to 8,916.90 points Thursday. Qatar National Bank or QNB closed off 0.90% to QR141.70. Qatar Navigation gained the most (up 3.26% at QR69.60) .
  
  

• Record gaining streak halted in Manama

  The Bahrain All-Share Index slipped 0.05% to 1,147.85 in a dull trading session on Thursday. The market measure advanced 8 consecutive sessions from May 2 to May 14. Al Salam Bank fell 2.38% to BD0.082. Islamic bank Ithmaar was the most liquid share, finishing flat at $0.25. Year-to-date, the Bahrain gauge has gained 7.72%.