A rally in blue-chip shares lifted Egypt’s benchmark EGX30 index above the 54,000-point level for the first time ever at the close of Sunday’s trading session.

The EGX30 gained 1.9 percent to finish at a record 54,628.68 points, supported by strong performances from heavyweight stocks including Commercial International Bank, which rose 1.35 percent to close at LE143.5 per share, and Talaat Moustafa Group, which advanced 1.88 percent to LE100 per share.

The EGX70 index for small- and mid-cap stocks climbed 1.4 percent to 14,702.74 points, while the broader EGX100 index increased 1.72 percent to close at 20,553.51 points.

Market capitalization rose to approximately LE3.8 trillion, up from around LE3.75 trillion recorded at the end of Wednesday’s session before the Labour Day holiday.

Total trading value reached nearly LE30.8 billion, with around 2.7 billion securities traded.

Egyptian investors accounted for 89.9 percent of total trading on listed shares, while foreign and Arab investors represented 4 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively.

Foreign investors recorded net purchases worth LE185.3 million, while Arab investors posted net sales of LE238.4 million.