Most Gulf bourses in black on oil, US rate cut bets 

About this update from Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company - Luberef

By Ateeq Shariff Most stock markets in the Gulf ended higher on Wednesday, amid rising crude prices, as investors look to U.S. economic data this week that could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy moves.Oil prices, a catalyst for Gulf financial markets, climbed more than 1% after Russia said talks with U.S. officials in Moscow failed to reach a compromise on a potential Ukraine peace deal that could have eased sanctions on its oil sector.Saudi Arabia's benchmark index TADAWUL:TASI rose 0.4%, with Etihad Etisalat Company TADAWUL:7020 advancing 2.1%, while Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company TADAWUL:2223 surged 10% to 93.95 riyals after HSBC lifted its price target to 115 riyals from 107 riyals.The kingdom approved its state budget for 2026 on Tuesday, forecasting a narrower fiscal deficit of 165 billion riyals ($44 billion), or about 3.3% of gross domestic product, as it shifts spending to priority sectors such as industry and logistics in a push to increase non-oil revenue.The Qatari index QSE:GNRI gained 0.5%, with the Qatar Islamic Bank QSE:QIBK finishing 1.2% higher.Dubai's main share index DFM:DFMGI - which traded after a two-session break - advanced 1.2%, with top lender Emirates NBD DFM:EMIRATESNBD gaining 3.5%. In Abu Dhabi, the index ADX:FADGI was up 0.7%.Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates resumed trading after a two-day hiatus for its National Day celebrations.Investors are closely watching upcoming releases, including Wednesday's November ADP private payrolls report and Friday's delayed September Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index — the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation.Monetary policy shifts in the U.S. have a significant impact on Gulf markets, where most currencies are pegged to the dollar.U.S. rate futures are now assigning an 88% probability of a Federal Reserve rate cut at next week's meeting, up from 85% a week earlier, CME's FedWatch Tool shows.Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index EGX:EGX30 jumped 1.8%, hitting all-time high, with Commercial International Bank EGX:COMI rising 1.8%.Egypt's non-oil private sector recorded its fastest growth in five years in November, driven by sharp increases in output and new orders, a business survey showed on Wednesday.Saudi ArabiaTADAWUL:TASI rose 0.4% to 10,575Abu DhabiADX:FADGI advanced 1.3% to 9,871DubaiDFM:DFMGI gained 1.2% to 5,907QatarQSE:GNRI added 0....

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