'QSE Index Resumes Rise After US Suspends Tariffs For 90 Days'

Doha: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index ended this week's trading session down 1.35 percent compared to the last weekly trading session, losing 137.86 points to reach 10,095.09 points, pressured by four sectors.

The industrial sector recorded the largest losses of 2.54 percent, followed by the banking and financial services sector, which recorded a decline of 1.26 percent, then the transportation sector, which lost 0.93 percent, and then the services and consumer goods sector, which declined by 0.40 percent.

In the same context, three sectors recorded an increase, particularly the insurance sector, which rose by 2.54 percent, followed by the communications sector, which rose by 0.81 percent, and the real estate sector, which recorded a growth of 0.01 percent.

In this context, financial market analyst Ahmed Aql told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the weekly decline in the QSE index was due to global market volatility resulting from US President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on China to 125 percent, which impacted global and local markets.

He pointed out that today's session at the stock exchange witnessed a strong rise as the market gradually recovered, with the index jumping 190.84 points to rise above the 10,000-point mark.

He added that this is attributed to the United States' suspension of high tariffs on some countries for 90 days, which cast a positive shadow over the markets and their strong return to trading.

The financial market analyst pointed out that despite the challenges faced by some sectors due to reactions to tariffs, such as the industrial sector, which declined by 2.54 percent due to the decline in oil prices and the repercussions of customs duties on some petrochemical products, some sectors showed an increase, such as the insurance and telecommunications sectors, reflecting investor confidence in the sustainability of these companies' performance.

He pointed out that the rise in the general index during the two weekend sessions reflects the strength and resilience of the market, in addition to the companies announcements for the first quarter, which are expected to give positive momentum to the index and enhance trading activity and performance.

Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group reported a 3 percent growth in net profits during the first quarter of 2025, reaching QR4.26bn, compared to QR4.143bn for the same period in 2024.
Aql pointed out that the value of trading last week reached approximately QR3bn, with an average trading volume of approximately QR600m per session.

The number of transactions during the week reached 170,448 across all sectors. A number of listed companies are expected to announce their financial statements for the period ending March 31, 2025, next week.

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