QSE marks fifth consecutive weekly gain as index hits multi-month high
Satyendra Pathak
Doha
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) extended its winning streak for the fifth consecutive week, with the benchmark index gaining 54.55 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 10,574.59 — its highest levelsince February 16.
The continued uptrend reflects growing investor confidence, improved liquidity, and easing global trade tensions. According to a report by QNB Financial Services (QNBFS), QSE's market capitalisation also rose by 1.0 percent to QR624.6 billion, up from QR618.6 billion at the end of the previous trading week. Out of the 53 listed companies, 35 ended the week higher, 16 declined, and two remained unchanged.
Estithmar Holding (IGRD) was the top performer of the week, surging 10.1 percent, while Qatar Cinema & Film Distribution Company (QCFS) recorded the steepest loss at 9.4 percent.
Leading contributors to the index's rise were QNB Group (QNB), Industries Qatar (IQ), and Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC). QNB added 28.32 points, IQ contributed 16.35 points, and QEWC added another 9.44 points to the index.
Trading activity surged across the board. The total traded value rose by 19.6 percent to QR2,343.7 million, up from QR1,959.7 million in the previous week. Estithmar Holding topped the value charts with QR205.8 million in trades. Traded volume also jumped 19.9 percent to 1,085.3 million shares compared to 905.4 million shares a week earlier. Baladna led in volume with 139 million shares exchanged.
The number of transactions increased by 8.9 percent to 96,142, signaling heightened investor participation.
Foreign institutions remained bullish, ending the week with net buying of QR199.3 million versus QR177.1 million the week before. Qatari institutions, however, maintained a bearish stance, with net selling of QR53.1 million, an improvement from the QR133.4 million in net selling recorded in the previous week.
Foreign retail investors posted net selling of QR36.8 million, while Qatari retail investors offloaded shares worth QR109.4 million. Year-to-date, global foreign institutions are net sellers of Qatari equities by $166 million, while GCC institutions are net short by $69.3 million.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Ramzi Qasmieh, Investment Manager at Qatar Securities Company, noted that the index's strong close marked its best performance since mid-February.
'The insurance sector led gains with a 3.12 percent rise, followed by the industrial sector, which climbed 1.86 percent. However, the transportation sector fell by 1.36 percent,' Qasmieh said.
He highlighted that speculative activity fueled improved liquidity, with the weekly traded value increasing by nearly QR385 million.
Looking ahead, market analysts believe the QSE may continue to benefit from improving global sentiment, easing inflation concerns, and strong quarterly results from key companies. However, they caution that continued net selling by Qatari retail investors and volatility in global markets could create intermittent headwinds.
Investor focus in the coming week is expected to remain on stock-specific action, particularly in companies with solid earnings outlooks or those likely to benefit from sectoral momentum, such as insurance and industrials.
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