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The Qatar Stock Exchange main index ended the week at 9,920 points after a decline of 111.79 points or 1.11 percent from the previous close, according to QSE data. Five sectors registered losses while transportation advanced 0.43 percent and banking and financial services edged up 0.03 percent during the period. Telecommunications posted the largest sectoral drop at 6.08 percent followed by industrials at 2.80 percent, insurance at 2.23 percent, real estate at 1.40 percent and consumer goods and services at 0.36 percent.
Mubarak al-Tamimi told Qatar News Agency that the benchmark has traded sideways with a downward bias for several months after opening the week at 10,032 points. The analyst predicted the index could test 9,727 points in the period ahead and characterised that level as an attractive buying opportunity that holds potential for stronger returns. Positive first-half earnings from several listed companies have reinforced investor confidence even as the market digests these movements.
Investors continue to weigh geopolitical risks linked to the five-month regional conflict and its impact on local, regional and global markets, al-Tamimi added. Stable interest rates have remained a supportive element that enhances the bourse’s appeal at current levels. The assessment from the analyst draws on both corporate results and broader monetary conditions to frame the outlook.
Trading volume on the QSE totalled 654,832,195 shares exchanged for a value exceeding QR1.563 billion through 126,679 transactions across all sectors, QSE figures show. This activity occurred as the market absorbed the weekly pullback while maintaining participation from both retail and institutional accounts. The data reflects sustained liquidity that has accompanied the index movement.
The Qatar Central Bank kept its key policy rates unchanged following an assessment of monetary conditions in the state, the regulator said in a statement. The deposit rate remains at 3.85 percent, the lending rate at 4.35 percent and the repurchase rate at 4.10 percent under the decision announced on Thursday. This continuity in policy aligns with the supportive interest rate environment cited by al-Tamimi.
The International Monetary Fund projected Qatar’s GDP growth at 2.6 percent for 2026 with non-hydrocarbon sectors contributing the bulk of expansion, according to the fund’s latest Middle East economic outlook. That forecast provides context for the positive corporate earnings that have bolstered QSE sentiment in the first half. Such macroeconomic projections reinforce the underlying resilience that analysts factor into equity market evaluations.
