Financial Market Analyst to QNA: Qatar Stock Exchange Index Gains 6.53 Percent Since Start of 2025

Doha, July 31 (QNA) - The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) ended this week on a positive note, rising by 0.360 percent, or 40.86 points, to close at 11,261 points - up from last week’s closing- supported by gains across five sectors, led by the telecommunications sector, which recorded the highest increase at 3.620 percent.

Commenting on the market's performance this week, financial market analyst Youssef Bouhlaiqa told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that QSE index held steady above its key support level of 11,200 points throughout the week. He noted that the index gained approximately 6.53 percent since the beginning of the year.

Bouhlaiqa highlighted strong performance of the banking sector, which saw a 1.4 percent rise in net profits during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching 15.1 billion QAR. Eight out of nine banks listed on QSE reported profit growth in the first six months of the year. Notably, Lesha Bank posted an impressive 52.29 percent increase in net profit. Qatar National Bank (QNB) accounted for the largest share of the sector's net profits, contributing 54 percent, with net profits reaching around 8.4 billion QAR - 2.93 percent year-on-year increase.

Bouhlaiqa emphasized that the sector's positive performance underscores the resilience and strength of Qatar's banking industry, and its ability to adapt swiftly to changing local market conditions.

Total trading value over the past week stood at approximately 1.979 billion QAR, with a daily average of around 396 million QAR, while the total number of transactions across all sectors reached 89,525. (QNA)