Doha, January 29 (QNA) - The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index ended this week's trading with a slight decline of about 0.23 percent, after gains that lasted for three consecutive weeks, to close at 11,310 points.

Its performance was distinguished by its ability to break through the 11,300-point level, which was a previous technical resistance level, reflecting an improvement in the overall momentum of the market despite the limited declines.

Investment Manager at Qatar Securities Company (QS) Ramzi Qasmieh told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that with the close of today's session, the QSE has achieved monthly gains of approximately 5.1 percent, thus recording the best monthly performance for the index since July 2025.

He added that better-than-expected corporate dividends, along with dividend announcements, improved energy prices, and the influx of institutional liquidity into leading stocks, contributed to supporting market performance and pushing the index to these levels.

He anticipated that the index would experience sideways trading tending towards fluctuation during the coming period as companies continue to announce their financial results for 2025, especially in the industrial sector, in addition to disclosing distributions, in conjunction with profit-taking operations aimed at building new momentum, which may push the index to target the 11,500-point level.

In his analysis of stock performance during the current week, Qasmiya pointed out that Mekdam stock topped the list of weekly gains with an increase of nearly 18 percent, supported by the company's announcement of positive financial results, in addition to the approval of cash dividends and the distribution of free shares, which contributed to boosting demand for the stock.

He added that Qamco stock came in second place, achieving gains of about 8.27 percent, benefiting from the rise in global aluminum prices, which encouraged foreign investment portfolios to increase their positions in the stock. Damaan Islamic Insurance Company stock also recorded gains exceeding 8 percent during the week, while Estithmar stock, which fell by about 6 percent, was the key of the declining stocks, followed by Mannai stock with a decline of about 5.9 percent.

At the sectoral performance level, the transport sector was the top performer this week, recording gains of about 2.5 percent, supported by the performance of Milaha and Nakilat stocks. The industrial sector also rose by about 0.42 percent, while the financial sector was subject to profit-taking after the strong gains it had achieved since the beginning of the year, declining on a weekly basis by about 1.2 percent.

Concluding his statement to QNA, Ramzi Qasmieh said that the decline witnessed by the index in the last sessions of the week by about 0.55 percent was a result of it being affected by profit-taking operations that affected a number of leading stocks, after some stocks reached their price targets. (QNA)