Intertemporal optimism on de-escalation in Iran war, high oil prices, and the support measures helped the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) close this week on a higher note with its key index gaining as much as 67 points and capitalisation adding in excess of QR4bn.
The industrials, banking and telecom counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.66% this week which saw the listed companies in the main market report a total net profit of QR53.33bn in 2025.
“De-escalation signals recedes war risks and investors are more willing to buy equities,” an analyst with a leading commercial bank brokerage said, adding markets had largely been volatile due to war fears but investors stepped in to buy at lower valuations, triggering a rebound.
The market was heavily skewed towards movers in the main market this week which saw Meeza plans to quadruple its current data center capacity over the next four years, as its 4-megawatt M-Vault 4 data center is on track to be delivered in the first half of 2026.
The industrials and banking sectors accounted for about 57% of the trading volumes in the main market this week which saw the Qatar Central Bank to offer unlimited amount of Qatari riyal repurchase (repo) facilities against eligible securities held by banks to ensure local currency liquidity.
“Policy support reassures investors that governments will cushion businesses,” the analyst said.
The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw a total of 0.13mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.29mn trade across 79 deals.
Market capitalisation added QR4.25bn or 0.71% to QR604.86bn on the back of mid and small cap segments this week which saw a total of 0.02mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QETF worth QR0.19mn trade across 28 transactions.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the main market this week which saw as many as 120 sovereign sukuks valued at QR1.23mn change hands across one deal.
Trade turnover and volumes were also on the increase in the venture market this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index gained 0.8%, the All Share Index by 0.75% and the All Islamic Index by 0.71% this week which saw the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Qatar Development Bank chalk out strategies to enhance the resilience, stability and sustainability of supply chains.
The industrials sector index shot up 1.62%, banks and financial services (0.91%), telecom (0.89%), real estate (0.3%) and transport (0.11%); while consumer goods and services declined 1.58% and insurance 0.09% this week which saw Qatar's maritime sector witness positive momentum in the bulk cargoes in January-March 2026.
Of the 54 stocks, as many as 31 gained, while 21 declined and two were unchanged this week which saw Techno Q report net profit of QR26.2mn in 2025.
Major movers in the main market included Al Khaleej Takaful, Inma Holding, Lesha Bank, Qamco, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank, QNB, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Vodafone Qatar and Milaha. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value this week.
Nevertheless, Mekdam Holding, Al Meera, Salam International Investment, Widam Food, Ahlibank Qatar, QIIB, Medicare Group and Qatari Investors Group were among the shakers in the main market this week.
The main bourse saw 64% surge in trade volumes to 858.73mn shares, 44% in value to QR2.47bn and 22% in deals to 147,820 this week.
In the venture market, trade volumes grew more than eight-fold to 2.09mn equities and value by more than nine-fold to QR4.78mn on more than eight-fold jump in transactions to 515 this week.