Saudi Aramco announced that its Board of Directors decided to distribute basic dividends to shareholders for the third quarter of 2026, with a total of 82.07 billion riyals ($21.89 billion), an increase of 3.5 percent on an annual basis, in line with the company’s policy aimed at distributing sustainable and increasing profits.
The company said that the dividends are equivalent to 0.3393 riyals per share, and include about 241.87 billion shares entitled to dividends, to be paid on November 25.
The company has set November 16 as the date for the distributions to be due, and shareholders who own shares at the end of that day and are registered in the company’s shareholder registry at the Securities Depository Center (Edaa) will have the right at the end of the second trading day following the due date.
The Board of Directors took the distribution decision on November 2, 2026, within the framework of Aramco’s policy to provide sustainable and increasing distributions to shareholders.
Saudi Aramco announced an increase in its adjusted net income during the third quarter of 2026 by 9 percent on an annual basis, to reach 117 billion riyals ($31.2 billion), compared to 107.2 billion riyals ($28.6 billion) in the corresponding period of last year, supported by operational excellence, the flexibility of the company’s business, and its ability to quickly restore operations in the face of challenges.
Cash flows from operating activities rose to 145.2 billion riyals ($38.7 billion), compared to 135.4 billion riyals ($36.1 billion) in the third quarter of 2025, while free cash flows rose to 105.8 billion riyals ($28.2 billion), compared to 88.4 billion riyals ($23.6 billion) during the same period last year.
The debt ratio decreased to 5.5 percent at the end of September 2026, compared to 6.2 percent at the end of last June, an indication of the strength of the company’s financial position.
Aramco's Board of Directors announced basic dividends for the third quarter amounting to 82.1 billion riyals ($21.9 billion), an increase of 3.5 percent year-on-year, to be paid during the fourth quarter of the current year.
At the sector level, adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes and zakat for the refining, chemicals and marketing sector increased by 234 percent year-on-year, driven by improved refining margins.
In the exploration and production sector, the company announced the start of production in the project to increase crude oil production in the Al-Zuluf field, confirming that its other major projects are proceeding according to the specified timetables, including the second phase of the Al-Jafoura field project, the expansion of the Al-Fadhili gas plant, and the Dammam field development project.
In the context of enhancing the flexibility of its exports, Aramco said that the East-West pipeline continued to provide additional options for exporting oil, noting that it is looking for additional storage capacities abroad and new export routes, with the aim of strengthening its global supply network.
The company also expanded its investments in the artificial intelligence sector, by acquiring a 49 percent stake in Humane, which included the transfer of assets and cash contributions worth approximately 9.9 billion riyals ($2.6 billion).
In another step to diversify its activities, Aramco signed a shareholders’ agreement to establish a joint venture for mineral exploration and hard rock mining, benefiting from its expertise in the exploration and production sector to expand into activities related to the energy and natural resources sector.
Al-Nasser: Business flexibility ensured continuity of supplies
Aramco's President and Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Amin Nasser, said that the state of geopolitical uncertainty and attacks on major energy facilities contributed to increasing the severity of the global energy supply crisis during the third quarter of 2026, with serious repercussions on global energy security.
He added that the dedication shown by the company's staff, in addition to its operational excellence, the flexibility of its business system, and the strength of the supply chain network that it built over decades, enabled it to continue providing reliable supplies to its customers during this exceptional period.
Al-Nasser explained that the company continues to search for additional storage capacities abroad and alternative export routes, with the aim of strengthening its global supply network, noting that the strong operational and financial performance during the volatile period demonstrates the importance of the flexibility that the company enjoys.
He stressed that Aramco, supported by its strong financial position, continues to focus on the disciplined implementation of priority projects, employing advanced technologies to improve performance and open horizons for new opportunities, while continuing to meet the world’s growing energy needs and creating value for shareholders and customers.
The technology sector led the declines in Asian stock markets during trading on Tuesday, with shares in South Korea and Taiwan falling, amid increasing investor concern about the valuations of artificial intelligence companies and the costs of expansion in this sector, at a time when disappointing business results for American companies affected the morale of global markets, ahead of the announcement of the results of the US midterm elections.
Pressure on stocks related to artificial intelligence continued, with increasing concerns following a series of business results and developments related to companies, including Oracle’s plans to raise funding, and the updates provided by Anthropic regarding its initial public offering file, which re-shed light on the valuations of sector companies and the high costs of continuing growth.
In South Korea, the KOSPI index fell by 3.2 percent, despite data showing a slowdown in inflation during October, which eases pressure on monetary policy makers, even if inflation remains much higher than the target. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics shares fell by 4.8 and 3.7 percent, respectively, which increased pressure on the market.
In Taiwan, the main index fell by more than 2 percent, recording its lowest levels since the beginning of August, and moving away by more than 10 percent from its record level recorded on October 6.
The declines in the two markets are of particular importance, as South Korea and Taiwan together represent more than half of the weight of the MSCI Emerging Markets Asia Index, which pushed the regional index to decline by 1.5 percent.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index fell by 1.5 percent, recording its losses for the fourth session in a row, and continuing to move away from its record levels recorded in early September.
Shares of major banks, including DBS Group, United Overseas Bank, and Oversea Chinese Banking Corp, pressured the index, as investors awaited the results of their operations scheduled to be issued later in the week.
Cathy Chan, equity analyst at Morningstar, said that the wave of selling of Singaporean bank shares during October was linked to market fears that the rise in bond yields would lead to a decline in their value, and thus affect the book value of banks, which may put pressure on the ratio of core capital of the first tranche (CET1), and be reflected in shareholder returns.
Asian currencies diverge
In currency markets, Asian currencies moved in different directions, as investors awaited the results of the US midterm elections, which strengthened the attractiveness of the dollar as a safe haven, even if the sharp decline in oil prices limited its gains.
Glenn Yin, research director at ACCM, said that the US elections may be reflected in Asian currency markets through their potential impact on US Treasury bond yields, trade policy, and investor sentiment towards high-risk assets.
The South Korean won rose by 0.5 percent, while the Taiwanese dollar fell by 0.6 percent, recording its weakest level since mid-April 2025.
Analysts at Mitsubishi UFG said in a research note that the growth cycle in the technology sector still supports the relative performance of the economies of South Korea and Taiwan, but capital flows remain a decisive factor in determining the extent to which this support is reflected in the performance of the two countries’ currencies.
In Indonesia, the rupiah rose to 18,135 against the dollar, while Indonesian stocks reversed early gains of 0.9 percent, falling 1.8 percent.
Data released on Monday showed Indonesia's trade surplus shrinking to $3.36 billion in September, while inflation slowed slightly to 3.23 percent in October.
Analysts at Bank of America said that the sharp rise in rupiah fluctuations may increase the chances of the Bank of Indonesia raising interest rates, in light of the risks that the weakness of the currency will lead to an increase in imported inflation and exacerbate pressures on the balance of payments, amid concerns related to the upcoming review of the MSCI index.
