By Ateeq Shariff
May 18 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf ended mixed on Sunday, with investors seeking new catalysts as optimism over the U.S.-China trade agreement started to fade.
Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI fell 0.4%, hit by a 0.9% fall in Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE and a 1% decrease in the country's biggest lender Saudi National Bank 1180.SE.
Oil - a driver for the Gulf's financial markets - settled higher on Friday, notching a second straight week of gains on easing U.S.-China trade tensions, though prices were held back by expectations of higher supply from Iran and OPEC+.
The Qatari index .QSI gained 0.6%, led by a 2.1% rise in Qatar Islamic Bank QISB.QA.
Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index .EGX30 retreated 0.7%, weighed down by a 2.4% slide in tobacco monopoly Eastern Company EAST.CA.
SAUDI ARABIA | .TASI lost 0.4% to 11,439 |
QATAR | .QSI gained 0.6% to 10,575 |
EGYPT | .EGX30 down 0.7% to 31,714 |
BAHRAIN | .BAX finished flat at 1,921 |
OMAN | .MSX30 added 0.6% to 4,436 |
KUWAIT | .BKP dropped 0.3% to 8,735 |
(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru;Editing by Helen Popper)
((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822788;))