Doha - The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) ended the week on a strong note, advancing 214.73 points, or 1.9 percent, to close at 11,307.85, buoyed by solid performances in the banking and investment sectors.

Market capitalisation expanded by 2.12 percent to reach QR676.6 billion, compared with QR662.6 billion at the end of the previous trading week, underscoring renewed investor confidence.

Out of the 53 listed companies, 39 stocks closed higher, while 15 declined. Estithmar Holding led the gainers, surging 6.8 percent, whereas Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance posted the steepest loss, falling 3.8 percent.

Major banking heavyweights were the key drivers of the index’s rally. Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB Group, and Dukhan Bank contributed 71.35, 67.33, and 23.30 points, respectively, to the overall gains.

Investor activity picked up significantly during the week. Traded value jumped 79.8 percent to QR2.9 billion, compared with QR1.6 billion in the previous week. Estithmar Holding emerged as the top value traded stock, with QR341.8 million worth of shares changing hands.

Trading volumes also soared, climbing 95.1 percent to 1.05 billion shares, up from 538.1 million shares a week earlier. Baladna was the most actively traded by volume, with 193 million shares exchanged.

The number of transactions rose 23 percent, reaching 121,622 deals compared with 98,865 in the prior week.

Foreign institutions displayed strong buying interest, recording net purchases worth QR270.2 million, reversing from net sales of QR44.1 million in the previous week.

In contrast, Qatari institutions turned bearish with QR159.3 million in net selling, compared with QR11 million in net buying a week earlier. Qatari retail investors also booked profits, registering QR101.6 million in net sales, following net buying of QR53.6 million in the prior week.

Foreign retail investors, meanwhile, remained net sellers but reduced their sell-off to QR9.4 million, down from QR20.5 million.

Year-to-date, global foreign institutions remain net buyers of Qatari equities by $241.6 million, while GCC institutions hold net long positions of $81.2 million.

Financial market analyst Youssef Bouhlaiqa highlighted that the bourse has entered an upward trend after overcoming last week’s declines, adding that investor confidence in Qatar’s economic resilience continues to drive buying activity.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Bouhlaiqa said the market experienced significant buying pressure this week, with purchases exceeding QR1 billion in a single session. He attributed this to the semi-annual FTSE Russell Emerging Markets Index review, which took effect after Friday’s close.

As part of the review, Investment Holding Company was added to the FTSE Mid-Cap Index, while Aamal, Al Mahhar Holding, and Doha Insurance Group were included in the Small-Cap Index.

Bouhlaiqa further noted that the 25 basis points interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, mirrored by Qatar, also boosted investor sentiment and accelerated the market’s rise.

According to QSE’s weekly report, the exchange recorded a total trade value of approximately QR2.9 billion, with more than 1.05 billion shares traded across 121,622 transactions, reflecting the highest levels of activity seen in recent weeks.

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