Gulf stock markets ended mixed on Tuesday as investors ponder on the fourth quarter corporate earnings. The Saudi stock market benchmark Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) fell 0.4 percent to 6,266.26 points, with 85 stocks falling and 22 rising. Kingdom Holding had the day's biggest gain, up 9.8 percent to SR5.60. The Saudi banking index rose 15 percent last year, lagging the petrochemicals index, which surged 65 percent over the same period. Kingdom Holding surged to an eight-month high after its main shareholder Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, gave a bullish outlook, but Saudi Arabia's index ended lower for a third day as banks stocks weighed. Kuwait's index fell for a second day, slipping 0.3 percent to 7,025 points. Bahrain's measure bucked the regional negative trend to rise 0.8 percent to 1,475 points. Dubai benchmark fell 2.4 percent to 1,759 points. Banks and property stocks weighed on Abu Dhabi's index dropped 0.6 percent to 2,758 points. Qatar's index slumped to its biggest one-day decline for five weeks. The index fell 1.4 percent to 6,910 points, its largest fall since Dec. 9. Oman's index rose 0.1 percent to 6,610 points, its highest finish since late October.
