Casablanca Stock Exchange Experiences Significant Decline

The Casablanca Stock Exchange closed the week from October 5 to October 9, 2026, with notable losses, as its main index, the MASI, dropped by 2.93% to finish at 16,797.1 points. This downturn reflects broader challenges faced by the market, which has seen a range of fluctuations in recent times. The MASI.20 index, representing the performance of the 20 most liquid companies, also fell, declining by 2.67% to 1,215.94 points. Meanwhile, the MASI ESG index, which tracks companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings according to Moody's ESG Solutions, recorded an even steeper drop of 3.06%, closing at 1,241.39 points.

Furthermore, the MASI Mid and Small Cap index, which monitors the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises listed on the exchange, witnessed a significant decrease of 4.28%, ending the week at 1,607.97 points. An analysis of sector performance revealed that the indices for the pharmaceutical industry, real estate participation and promotion, and IT services faced the heaviest losses, with declines of 14.64%, 8.47%, and 6.39% respectively. In stark contrast, a few sectors managed to achieve positive results, with beverages rising by 1.14%, electricity by 0.63%, and holdings by 0.04%.

Trading volume exceeded 1 billion dirhams, primarily driven by transactions in the central market for equities. Key players in this trading activity included Attijariwafa Bank, Sodep-Marsa Maroc, and Managem, accounting for 15.81%, 10.21%, and 9.84% of the total transactions, respectively. The total market capitalization settled at over 989 billion dirhams.

On an individual stock level, the most significant declines were observed in Jet Contractors, which fell by 16.71% to 1,500 dirhams, followed by Sothema at -15.71% to 295 dirhams, and Alliances at -11.78% to 322 dirhams. Other notable declines included HPS and Sonasid, which dropped by 8.6% and 8.33%, respectively. Conversely, some companies experienced gains; Stokvis Nord Afrique rose by 6.11% to 49 dirhams, while Réalisations Mécaniques and Balima saw increases of 6% and 5.85%, respectively. Oulmes and Rebab Company also showed positive movements, climbing by 5.15% and 5.02% respectively.

As reported by fr.hespress.com.