(Bloomberg) -- Shares in Saudi Aramco fell, losing ground for the first time since the oil giant's record initial public offering last week, and ahead of the stock's inclusion into the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Aramco finished 0.7% lower at 37.75 riyals on Tuesday. It is still up 18% from the initial public offering price of 32 riyals.
Index compiler MSCI Inc. will use Tuesday's closing price in its calculations for the inclusion of the stock into its benchmarks. The Saudi stock exchange extended the closing auction on Tuesday to accommodate demand tied to the MSCI addition. The stock will also be included via an accelerated process in gauges compiled by FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones indexes this month.
“MSCI flows are often priced in ahead and we see flat or even negative performance during or immediately after the accumulation period,” said Zachary Cefaratti, chief executive officer at Dalma Capital Management Ltd. “A lot of investors are happy to take profit; even retail are far enough in the money now.”
Even with Tuesday's dip, the company still has a market value above $2 trillion, the level sought by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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To contact the reporter on this story: Filipe Pacheco in Dubai at fpacheco4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Blaise Robinson at brobinson58@bloomberg.net, Phil Serafino
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