Easing (US) tariff tensions had its influence on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which closed this week on a higher note with its key index surging as much as 187 points and capitalisation adding more than QR9bn.

A higher than average demand was visible in the banking sector as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 1.83% this week which saw the QSE-listed companies report a total net profit of QR13.22bn in the first quarter (Q1) of this year.

The domestic funds were seen net buyers this week which saw Qatar's maritime sector report a double-digit year-on-year vessels arrival in April 2025, resulting in a buoyant growth in container throughput and volumes of building materials and livestock through Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports.

The Gulf institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main bourse this week which saw Industries Qatar report a net profit of QR1bn for the three-month period ended March 31, 2025.

The foreign retail investors’ weakened net profit booking also had its effect on the main bourse this week which saw Gulf International Services (GIS) Q1-2025 net profit at QR222mn.

The foreign institutions continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main market this week which saw a total of 0.06mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.14mn trade across 45 deals.

The Gulf individuals’ lower net selling had its say in the main bourse this week which saw as many as 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.08mn change hands across 14 transactions.

The local retail investors were seen increasingly bearish in the main market this week which saw no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.

The Arab individuals turned net profit takers in the main bourse this week which saw Milaha report net profit of QR374mn in January-March this year.

The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw Nakilat’s net profit at QR433mn in the first three months of this year.

Market capitalisation added QR9.49bn or 1.57% to QR614.98bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company (MPHC) report net profit of QR186mn in Q12-205.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the main market; while the junior market’s trade volume and value shot up considerably this week which saw Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Company (Qamco), a 50% joint venture partner in Qatalum, register a net profit of QR156mn in the Q1-2025.

The Total Return Index shot up 1.83%, the All Islamic Index by 1.12% and the All Share Index by 1.78% this week which saw the industrials and banking sectors together constitute about 56% of the total trade volumes.

The banks and financial services sector surged 2.86%, insurance (1.73%), telecom (1.12%), industrials (0.99%) and transport (0.73%); while real estate declined 1.21% and consumer goods and services 0.65% this week which saw the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority issue proposals on market risks for conventional and Islamic banks.

Major movers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Lesha Bank, Commercial Bank, GIS, Qatar Electricity and Water, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, AlRayan Bank, Salam International Investment, Qamco, Beema and Vodafone Qatar this week.

Nevertheless, about 55% of the traded constituents in the main bourse were in the red with major losers being Al Faleh Educational Holding, Al Mahhar Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, United Development Company, Aamal, Medicare Group, Widam, Meeza, Estithmar Holding, QLM, Ezdan and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.

The domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR14.98mn compared with net sellers of QR38.1mn the week ended April 24.

The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined substantially to QR3.91mn against QR20.62mn the previous week.

The foreign individual investors’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR1.3mn compared to QR8.23mn a week ago.

The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR3.77mn against QR4.76mn the week ended April 24.

However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling strengthened markedly to QR91.98mn compared to QR84.39mn the previous week.

The Arab retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR23.15mn against net buyers of QR1.99mn a week ago.

The foreign funds’ net buying decreased noticeably to QR109.19mn compared to QR154.17mn the week ended April 24.

The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net profit takers to the tune of QR0.06mn the previous week.

The main market saw 15% plunge in trade volumes to 933.45mn shares, 6% in value to QR2.09bn and 7% in deals to 100,458 this week.

In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 0.14mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR0.39mn on more than doubled transactions to 45.