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The Bahrain Bourse All Share Index posted a 3.8 percent gain in April 2026 to finish the month at 1,972.1 points, a Kamco Invest analysis found. That performance ranked third among GCC bourses for the month and offset some of the 7.8 percent decline recorded in March. Four of the seven sectors closed lower for April, yet support from real estate and financial heavyweights drove the broader recovery. The analysis by the Kuwait-based firm highlighted how the index rebounded despite ongoing cautious sentiment across regional markets.
Real estate led sector gains with a 22.7 percent surge to close at 2,779.7 points, the Kamco Invest report showed. The financial sector advanced 6.3 percent while materials edged 0.1 percent higher. In contrast the industrial sector posted the largest drop, falling 10.3 percent to end at 2,523.4 points. The report noted that the mixed sector results reflected selective buying amid geopolitical uncertainties.
Seef Properties delivered the strongest share price performance with a 38.1 percent jump, Bloomberg data indicated. GFH Financial Group rose 27.4 percent and Inovest gained 9.7 percent to round out the top three advancers for the month. On the decliners list APM Terminals Bahrain fell 12.3 percent, Gulf Hotels Group shed 6.7 percent and Bahrain Islamic Bank declined 5.1 percent. These moves underscored the selective nature of investor interest during the period.
Market liquidity improved markedly as total trading volume increased 224 percent to 61.7 million shares from 19 million in March, according to the Kamco Invest analysis. The value of shares traded climbed 165.6 percent to BD18.4 million from BD6.9 million the prior month. Al Salam Bank-Bahrain led volumes with 15.6 million shares while GFH Financial Group topped value traded at BD7.9 million. The National Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain also featured prominently in the value rankings.
The Central Bank of Bahrain announced a BD7 billion liquidity support package equivalent to $18.6 billion on April 13, 2026, to stabilise the economy amid regional volatility. The programme allows a three-month deferral on principal and interest for individuals and corporates, extends the repo facility to three months and cuts the reserve requirement to 3.5 percent from 5 percent. Regulators also lowered the minimum liquidity coverage and net stable funding ratios to 80 percent from 100 percent while introducing greater flexibility in loan classifications. A separate BD100 million wage support scheme for the private sector was included in the measures.
Global equity markets recorded their strongest monthly performance in years during April 2026 as the MSCI World Index rose 10 percent, the Kamco Invest report stated. Emerging markets gained 14.5 percent and advanced economies added 9.5 percent with the S&P 500 up 10.4 percent and the Nasdaq surging 15.3 percent. Asian indices climbed 13 percent on the back of a 16.1 percent rally in Japan while European bourses delivered low single-digit returns. Crude oil reached a four-year high by month-end on supply concerns linked to military operations.
Within the GCC the MSCI GCC Index edged 0.4 percent higher in April 2026 after two months of declines, Kamco Invest figures show. Saudi Arabia’s TASI slipped 0.6 percent as investors booked profits yet retained a 6.6 percent year-to-date gain, trailing only Oman’s 42.7 percent advance for the year. Transportation and diversified financials sectors posted gains exceeding 9 percent across the region while healthcare, food and beverage, and retailing indices saw modest losses. A subsequent Kamco Invest report noted the Bahrain index continued its recovery with a 3.2 percent gain in June to reach 2,042.56 points, narrowing the year-to-date decline to 1.2 percent by the end of the second quarter.
