Most Gulf stock markets fell on Sunday after U.S economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials pointed to a slower pace of interest-rate cuts.

Investors increased bets on the Fed leaving interest rates unchanged at its December meeting and dialled back expectations for easing in 2025.

The Fed's decisions have a significant impact on monetary policy in the Gulf as most of the region's currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar.

The Qatari benchmark index <.QSI> slipped 0.4%, with almost all of its constituents falling, led by the finance, communication and energy sectors.

Qatar National Bank <QNBK.QA>, the region's largest lender, lost 1.4% and Qatar Navigation <QNNC.QA> was down 1.1%.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index <.TASI> snapped three sessions of losses, edging up 0.2% helped by gains in the IT, utilities, real estate, industry, healthcare and insurance sectors.

Medgulf <8030.SE> rose 10% for its biggest daily gain in more than six months. The insurer said in a statement to the Saudi Exchange that it had received a circular from the Insurance Authority on a new mechanism for allocating reinsurance premiums to the local market.

All bar two insurance stocks closed higher with Al Rajhi Company For Cooperative Insurance <8230.SE> up 3.9%, and Saudi Reinsurance <8200.SE> gaining 6.9%.

Saudi Re said in a statement that the new mechanism would help increase Saudi reinsurance revenue by more then 5% from 2023.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index <.EGX30> reversed the previous session's gain with a 0.7% fall, with most sectors in the red. Telecom Egypt <ETEL.CA> lost 2.6% after it reported a 13% decrease in quarterly net profit on Thursday.

However, Juhayna Food <JUFO.CA> gained 3.7% after it posted around a 200% jump in third quarter net profit.

 

SAUDI ARABIA

<.TASI> rose 0.2% to 11,812

KUWAIT

<.BKP> was up 0.2% to 7,849

QATAR

<.QSI> lost 0.4% to 10,411

EGYPT

<.EGX30> dropped 0.7% to 31,252

BAHRAIN

<.BAX> ended flat to 2,053

OMAN

<.MSX30> was down 0.4% to 4,626

 

 

(Reporting by Md Manzer Hussain; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)