Doha, September 10 (QNA) - Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) ended this week's trading up 0.62 percent, adding 60.35 points to bring its general index to 9,824 points, compared with the close of the final trading session of last week.
The index benefited from gains in five sectors, led by the Industrials sector, which posted the strongest increase of 1.76 percent, while the Transportation sector recorded the largest decline, falling 0.85 percent.
Commenting on the performance, financial markets analyst Youssef Bouhlaika told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that investors were reassessing their investment positions ahead of the earnings season, particularly as third-quarter results would provide an important indication of companies' ability to maintain profitability levels amid higher financing costs and a slowdown in some activities. He noted that market movements remained under pressure from global interest rates and the repercussions of geopolitical developments in the region, while investors awaited the third-quarter results of listed companies.
He also said that the selling witnessed in the market during the recent period could create attractive investment opportunities for new investors and those with a long-term outlook. He stressed that the current developments represented a natural phase of uncertainty associated with interest-rate cycles rather than a fundamental shift in the market's overall direction.
Bouhlaika also highlighted to QNA that the strength of the Qatari economy, continued spending on strategic projects and the robust financial positions of many listed companies were factors supporting the prospects for a recovery during the third quarter of the year, particularly if financial results were in line with or exceeded investor expectations. He noted that the Industrials and Banks and Financial Services sectors remained the main drivers of the market amid the sensitivity of stocks to the trajectory of interest rates and financing costs, while the remaining sectors showed clear variations in performance. (QNA)