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Market EyeConcerns on future rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve had its overarching influence in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which closed the week in the negative, after remaining bullish for four consecutive weeks, with key index plummeting 349 points and capitalisation eroding about QR20bn.Foreign institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index plunged 3.09% this week which saw an Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales forecast suggest that Qatar's gross domestic product growth to nearly double to 4.8% in 2026 on "significant" liquefied natural gas output through North Field expansion.More than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red this week which saw Qatar draft new legislations, including an updated public–private partnership law, a foreign investment law and a bankruptcy law, to help the private sector, which otherwise has been saving QR100mn annually through various industrial incentives.The Gulf institutions turned bearish in the main market this week which saw Ooredoo Group sell a minority 6% stake in Meeza-QSTP to certain funds managed by Fiera Capital (UK) at the current market price.The Arab individuals were seen net sellers in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company sign a pact to acquire a 7% stake held by Qatar Oman Investment Company in the Qatar Aluminum Extrusion Company.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers in the main market this week which saw the Qatar Central Bank’s second phase of primary dealer framework record 29 deals valued in excess of QR2.8bn to date.The local retail investors were seen bullish in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.02mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.06mn trade across 14 deals.The foreign individuals turned net buyers in the main market this week which saw 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.08mn change hands across 17 transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw as many as 0.21mn of sovereign bonds valued at QR2.12bn trade across four deals.Market capitalisation plunged QR19.86bn or 2.94% to QR656.75bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease in the main and venture markets this week which saw the consumer goods and realty sectors together constitute more than 61% of the total trade volumes.The Total Return Index plummeted 3.09%, the All Share Index by 3.11% and the All Islamic Index by 2.01% this week which saw Al Mahhar Holding Company find place in the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series.The banks and financial services sector index plunged 4.62%, industrials (2.16%), transport (1.62%), real estate (1.11%) and consumer goods and services (0.35%); while telecom and insurance gained 0.54% and 0.27% respectively this week which saw Mekdam Holding Group bag a QR204mn contract from Qatar Fertiliser Company.The market was skewed towards shakers with as many 32 constituents reporting declines, while 16 gained and five were unchanged this week which saw QTerminals, in which Milaha holds 49% stake, work towards sustainability for all its future acquisitions, as it aims to broaden the footprint in the strategic global markets.Major losers in the main market included QNB, Widam Food, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, AlRayan Bank, Mannai Corporation, Qatar National Cement, Gulf International Services, Qamco, United Development Company, Barwa and Nakilat. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week which saw Gulf Warehousing Company establish a branch of GWC Energy Logistics (Dubai) in Sharjah as part of the company’s expansion in the logistics sector across the UAE.Nevertheless, Medicare Group, Gulf Warehousing, Estithmar Holding, Baladna, Mazaya Qatar and Vodafone Qatar were among the movers in the main market this week which saw QNB Group completes an inaugural benchmark 750mn euros green bond issuance under its medium term note programme in the international capital markets.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR138.69mn compared with net buyers of QR260.96mn the previous week.The Gulf institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR26.2mn against net buyers of QR9.11mn the week ended September 18.The Arab individual investors were net sellers to the tune of QR9.25mn compared with net buyers of QR3.72mn a week ago.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the extent of QR83.9mn against net sellers of QR159.27mn the previous week.The Qatari individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR73.37mn compared with net sellers of QR101.56mn the week ended September 18.The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR11.38mn against net profit takers of QR8.39mn a week ago.The Gulf individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR5.26mn compared with net sellers of QR4.73mn the previous week.The Arab institutions’ net buying expanded marginally to QR0.23mn against QR0.17mn the week ended September 18.The main market saw 16% contraction in trade volumes to 886.29mn shares, 20% in value to QR2.33bn and 7% in deals to 112,681 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes shrank 81% to 0.45mn equities, value by 81% to QR1.15mn and transactions by 60% to 94.

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has achieved significant milestone with the launch of the second phase of primary dealer (PD) framework, recording 29 deals valued in excess of QR2.8bn to date.About 16% of the primary dealers’ share was redistributed to investors on the first day of issuance, the QCB said on X.“This activity marks one of the strongest trading performances in the Qatari secondary market, demonstrating strong investor confidence and high demand for Qatari riyal-denominated financial instruments,” the QCB said.This was accomplished through the development of an advanced infrastructure for trading outside the stock market, significantly enhancing efficiency and transparency in the secondary market under the supervision and oversight of the QCB.As part of its ongoing commitment to developing the local debt market and promoting Islamic finance instruments, the QCB introduced ljarah sukuk as an alternative to Murabaha sukuk.This initiative aligns with international standards and enables these instruments to be traded, the QCB said.Ijarah sukuk have witnessed widespread demand from both Islamic and non-Islamic banks, and have been traded alongside conventional bonds, reflecting growing confidence in Islamic financial instruments and the effectiveness of the new regulatory framework.The PD frameworks seeks to strengthen the government securities issuance, enhance secondary market liquidity, and build investor confidence with further opportunities for participations in future issuances.The QCB’s first phase of PD framework, in collaboration with Bloomberg, was aligned with its Third Financial Sector Strategy, which is set to modernise the market infrastructure, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and participation in Qatar’s financial markets.The QCB has adopted Bloomberg’s auction system to streamline its local currency debt issuance and liquidity management workflows.The adoption of Bloomberg’s auction system allows local banks to bid for QCB-issued securities directly through the Bloomberg terminal, creating a streamlined and efficient process.This system supports secondary market trading, enabling banks to offer these securities to clients and strengthening Qatar’s financial ecosystem.The launch of second phase of PD framework had seen the appointment of local primary dealers: AlRayan Bank, HSBC Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB and Commercial Bank, marking a key milestone in the development of ongoing capital markets.The QCB had successfully executed the first auction under the PD framework, issuing local currency government bonds and sukuk, on behalf of the Ministry of Finance.A total of QR15.43bn was offered and fully allocated across four securities: two year (tap) and five year (new issuance) tranches for both bonds and sukuks.The PD framework is a foundational initiative to promote deeper and more liquid domestic capital markets. It is designed to build investor confidence, ensure orderly issuance, and enhance the secondary market for government securities. The framework is expected to evolve over time, with further opportunities for eligible banks to apply for participation in future phases.

Hamad Port has been ranked first in the Gulf region for the first time and 11th worldwide in the CPPI or Container Port Performance Index 2024.The CPPI, issued by the World Bank in collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence, serves as global recognition of Hamad Port’s exceptional operational efficiency and high performance, reinforcing Qatar's standing as a key regional hub for trade and logistics.It also highlights the port’s critical role in driving the nation’s economic growth, positioning it as a strategic link in global supply chains and a trusted transshipment hub in the region.The index bases its assessments on a wide range of data, with a primary focus on the time vessels require to complete loading and unloading operations-an essential measure of operational efficiency and a key factor in evaluating the resilience and reliability of global trade.Hamad Port's strong performance reflects the advanced infrastructure, modern technologies, and premium services it provides, said Mwani Qatar in its social media handle X.The 2024 edition of the index evaluated 403 container ports worldwide. It reported an overall decline in global port performance between 2020 and 2024 due to the Red Sea crisis, challenges at the Panama Canal, and pandemic-related shocks.The report highlighted the uneven efficiency gains across regions and income groups.

Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has achieved significant milestone with the launch of the second phase of primary dealer (PD) framework, recording 29 deals with a total value exceeding QR2.8bn to date.About 16% of the primary dealers' share was redistributed to investors on the first day of issuance, the QCB said."This activity marks one of the strongest trading performances in the Qatari secondary market, demonstrating strong investor confidence and high demand for Qatari riyal-denominated financial instruments," QCB said.This was accomplished through the development of an advanced infrastructure for trading outside the stock market, significantly enhancing efficiency and transparency in the secondary market under the supervision and oversight of the QCB.As part of its ongoing commitment to developing the local debt market and promoting Islamic finance instruments, the QCB introduced ljarah sukuk as an alternative to Murabaha sukuk.This initiative aligns with international standards and enables these instruments to be traded, the QCB said.Ijarah sukuk have witnessed widespread demand from both Islamic and non-Islamic banks, and have been traded alongside conventional bonds, reflecting growing confidence in Islamic financial instruments and the effectiveness of the new regulatory framework.The PD frameworks seeks to strengthen the government securities issuance, enhance secondary market liquidity, and build investor confidence with further opportunities for participantion in future isduances.

Market EyeForeign institutions were seen squaring off position in the Qatar Stock Exchange, which closed in the negative for the fourth straight session, resulting in 96 points plunge in index and about QR5bn in capitalisation.The banks, consumer goods and telecom counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.86% to 11,078.5 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,199 points.More than 73% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 4.8%.The Gulf institutions were seen net profit takers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR4.73bn or 0.71% to QR664.32bn; mainly on midcap segments.The Gulf retail investors turned bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 2,936 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across six deals.The Arab institutions’ weakened net buying had its marginal influence on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.86%, the All Share Index by 0.85% and the All Islamic Index 0.68% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index tanked 1.24%, consumer goods and services (0.98%), telecom (0.94%), transport (0.26%), industrials (0.15%) and insurance (0.06%); while real estate was unchanged.As many as 10 stocks gained, while 38 declined and four were unchanged.Major losers in the main market included Medicare Group, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Qatar Oman Investment, Meeza, QNB, Dukhan Bank, Barwa, Ooredoo and Nakilat.In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Estithmar Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Ezdan, Mekdam Holding, Gulf Warehousing and Vodafone Qatar were among the movers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR44.51mn compared to QR5.55mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR13.29mn against net buyers of QR12.47mn on September 23.The Gulf individual investors were net sellers to the extent of QR0.71mn compared with net buyers of QR1.31mn on Tuesday.The Arab institutions’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.02mn against QR0.05mn the previous day.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR43.53mn compared with net sellers of QR2.24mn on September 23.The local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR13.09mn against net sellers of QR5.02mn on Tuesday.The foreign individual investors’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR5.21mn compared to QR4.7mn the previous day.The Arab retail investors’ net profit booking shrank noticeably to QR3.33mn against QR5.72mn on September 23.The main market saw a 22% jump in trade volumes to 217.05mn shares, 22% in value to QR572.05mn and 3% in deals to 24,303.In the venture market, a total of 0.23mn equities valued at QR0.6mn changed hands across 18 transactions.

Mekdam Holding Group has bagged a contract from Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO) to execute a strategic contract valued at QR203.9mn.The contract covers the supply of Tier-1 manpower to support major industrial projects, notably the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and the QatarEnergy urea project.This contract -- which represents a significant step towards strengthening the operational capabilities of national industrial projects -- will run for a duration of five years, starting on October 1, 2025, with an option to extend for an additional five years, Mekdam said in a regulatory filing with the Qatar Stock Exchange.Under the agreement, Mekdam will provide a highly qualified workforce in line with the highest international standards, ensuring that QAFCO’s requirements are met efficiently across all phases of project execution and operations.Winning this strategic contract reflects the confidence that leading national institutions place in the capabilities and expertise of Mekdam Holding Group.It also reaffirms the group’s firm commitment to delivering advanced technical solutions that align with the state’s vision for the development of the energy sector and related industries.

Market EyeThe bearish spell continued for the third straight session in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Tuesday with its key index losing 47 points and capitalisation eroding more than QR5bn, reflecting the concerns over future rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, which signalled a measured approach to further easing.The transport and banking counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.42% to 11,174.88 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,234 points.As much as 51% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 5.71%.The Arab individuals turned net profit takers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR5.23bn or 0.78% to QR669.05bn; mainly on large and midcap segments.The local retail investors were also seen net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 8,352 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across three deals.The domestic institutions were seen bearish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The Islamic index made gains vis-a-vis declines in the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign funds continued to be net sellers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.21mn sovereign bonds valued at QR2.12bn change hands across four deals.The Total Return Index shed 0.42% and the All Share Index by 0.65%, while the All Islamic Index was up 0.1% in the main market.The transport sector index tanked 1.06%, banks and financial services (1.05%), insurance (0.26%), industrials (0.14%) and real estate (0.14%); whereas consumer goods and services gained 0.68% and telecom 0.08%.As many as 21 stocks gained, while 26 declined and four were unchanged.Major losers in the main market included QNB, Baladna, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Nakilat, Dukhan bank, Industries Qatar and Milaha.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Medicare Group, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, Al Meera, Inma Holding, Al Mahhar Holding, Estithmar Holding and Qamco were among the movers in the main market.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.72mn against net buyers of QR1.33mn the previous day.The local retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR5.02mn compared with net buyers of QR24.36mn on Monday.The domestic institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR2.24mn against net buyers of QR7.57mn on September 22.However, the Gulf funds were net buyers to the extent of QR12.47mn compared with net sellers of QR9.42mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.7mn against net profit takers of QR0.75mn on Monday.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying increased marginally to QR1.31mn compared to QR1.2mn on September 22.The Arab institutions’ net buying was rather flat at QR0.05mn.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking weakened substantially to QR5.55mn against QR24.35mn the previous day.The main market saw a 14% shrinkage in trade volumes to 177.43mn shares but on 2% jump in value to QR468.27mn and 2% in deals to 23,671.In the venture market, a total of 0.08mn equities valued at QR0.2mn changed hands across 26 transactions.

Qatar's GDP (gross domestic product) growth is seen nearly doubling to 4.8% in 2026 on "significant" liquefied natural gas (LNG) output through North Field expansion, boosting fiscal surpluses and supporting business optimism, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)."We project Qatar’s GDP growth at 2.7% for this year and 4.8% for 2026," said the ICAEW Economic Insight Q3 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics.Industrial output data for the second quarter or Q2 showed a 2.4% year-on-year growth, spurred by stronger mining production, although this comes off a low base from last year, said the economic update.The July report from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum showed LNG production trends are supportive of exports and "we think activity will improve in the remainder of the year, before surging in 2026 as planned projects are completed."Qatar targets LNG capacity target of 142mn tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by end-2030; up nearly 85% from the current 77 Mtpa, and up 13% on the intermediate target of 126 Mtpa by 2027.The first production boost will come from the North Field East project by mid-2026, followed by the North Field South phase of the expansion. The North Field West phase is in its early stages, with construction likely to begin in 2027.The expansion of the North Field gas project means the energy sector will play a more prominent role in the next five years, boosting the government's ability to support the economy, according to the update."We expect Qatar to run a budget surplus of QR14.1bn (1.7% of GDP) this year and see the surplus more than tripling in 2026, thanks to the LNG production boost," ICAEW said.This is despite a cumulative deficit of QR1.3bn in the first half (H1), 2025; reflecting a rise in public spending against the backdrop of hydrocarbon revenue headwinds, it said.Businesses remain optimistic about the outlook despite uncertainty over demand and recent PMI (purchasing managers’ index) prints have held above the H1 average of 51.1, owing to ongoing labour market strength,"We continue to project an expansion of 3.6% in the non-energy economy this year and expect a similar pace of growth in 2026," it said.The outlook continues to benefit from improvements in the regulatory framework and business environment, which have helped elevate the country's competitiveness ranking by two places to ninth globally in the latest IMD competitiveness index.Forecasting Qatar’s inflation to average 0.4% this year but set to rise above 2% in 2026; it said Qatar has the second-lowest rate of inflation in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region, behind that of Bahrain. Food and communication are the key drivers of Qatar’s inflation, it said.Finding that prices are lower than last year across most of the CPI (consumer price index) basket, though the drag from the housing and utilities category "is easing, albeit remaining substantial", it said "we expect the impact of these disinflationary forces to gradually fade over time."With the US Federal Reserve resuming interest rate cuts in September and pencilling in a cumulative reduction of 125 basis points by end-2026, it said Qatar Central Bank is slated to follow suit, which will support credit expansion and spending.

Market EyeProfit booking, especially from the foreign and Gulf funds, on Monday extended the bearish run in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) for the second straight session.The industrials and transport counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed about 45 points or 0.4% to 11,222.06 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,285 points.About 58% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 6.16%.The foreign individuals continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.05bn or 0.16% to QR674.28bn; mainly on micro and small cap segments.The local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 1,164 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR9,729 trade across six deals.The domestic funds were seen bullish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Arab individual investors turned net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.4%, the All Share Index by 0.23% and the All Islamic Index by 0.51% in the main market.The industrials sector index shrank 0.88%, transport (0.44%), real estate (0.34%) and banks and financial services (0.08%); while consumer goods and services gained 0.27%, telecom (0.16%) and insurance (0.14%).As many as 20 stocks gained, while 30 declined and two were unchanged.Major losers in the main market included QLM, Doha Bank, Industries Qatar, Widam Food, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qamco, Barwa, United Development Company and Nakilat.Nevertheless, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Baladna, Qatar Oman Investment, Medicare Group, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR24.35mn compared with net buyers of QR9.02mn on September 21.The Gulf institutions were net profit takers to the extent of QR9.42mn against net buyers of QR9.83mn the previous day.However, the local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR24.36mn compared with net sellers of QR5.85mn on Sunday.The domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR7.57mn against net profit takers of QR5.5mn on September 21.The Arab retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.33mn compared with net sellers of QR6.17mn the previous day.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying increased noticeably to QR1.2mn against QR0.16mn on Sunday.The Arab institutions’ net buying was rather flat at QR0.05mn.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking eased markedly to QR0.75mn compared to QR1.53mn on September 21.The main market saw 41% surge in trade volumes to 207.48mn shares, 12% in value to QR460.77mn and 15% in deals to 23,041.In the venture market, a total of 0.04mn equities valued at QR0.1mn changed hands across 13 transactions.

South Korea's EnergyX, a global leader in end-to-end energy optimisation for buildings and infrastructure, has relocated its global command centre to Qatar as it plans to shift the international headquarters here.The company, which already has made Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) its home, is planning a robotic smart-factory in Qatar as well as a high profile plus-energy building in Qatar that achieves multiple top-tier certifications, as it aims to make the country the global hub from where it invents, manufactures, integrates, and manages its global fleet.An announcement in this regard was made at the Korea-Qatar AI (Artificial Intelligence) Forum hosted by the Korean Embassy in Qatar, KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Qatar.The move formalises a re-architecture of the business with EnergyX consolidating command, engineering, and production into a single hub designed to compress product cycles and co-ordinate deployments from Doha to Asia, Europe, and beyond."Qatar isn’t a testing ground; it’s the centre of operations from which EnergyX will steer the next era of AI or artificial intelligence-defined, net-positive infrastructure," said founder and chief executive officer Sean Park, who along with core command team, relocated to Doha.The Middle East and North Africa chief executive officer and Global Chief Strategy Officer, Jean-Jacques Dandrieux has been based in Doha for the past two years.On the proposed smart robotic factory in Qatar; Park said a DFMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly)-enabled line with autonomous handling and tightly instrumented quality gates will scale in deliberate phases, prioritising reliability and repeatability over headline throughput."The company’s establishment under the QFC and its ongoing engagement with national stakeholders provide the operating clarity needed to relocate the headquarters and centralise integrations, manufacturing, and service management, he said.By putting Qatar at the centre of its worldwide operations, systems integrations, manufacturing, and R&D; he said it will expand local hiring, deepen collaborations with universities and research institutes, and broaden its intellectual-property portfolio from Doha — positioning Qatar as the origin point for technologies that enable energy-sovereign buildings and districts worldwide."Qatar’s RDI agenda aligns with our deep-tech mandate: an R&D-led programme in AI-powered energy optimisation, geospatial analytics, and robotics-enabled, free-form DFMA manufacturing — so invention, prototyping, and production run on one clock in one place," according to Park.Highlighting that Qatar enables EnergyX to co-locate AI, software, hardware engineering, and manufacturing under a single command structure; he said that removes handoffs and lets the company co-ordinate global rollouts, reliability, and product evolution from a single operating rhythm.The Qatar base is structured to manufacture custom energy systems and ship them globally — with planned logistics via air and sea — and to manage worldwide deployments of EnergyX Zero from a single command centre, according to him.EnergyX will build high-skill teams and collaborate with government, leading Qatari business groups, universities, and research institutes to accelerate technology transfer, specialised training, and workforce development tied directly to the factory and research centre, according to Park.

Market EyeEnding three consecutive days of bull-run, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Sunday opened the week weak with its key index losing more than 41 points and capitalisation melting in excess of QR1bn.The banking counter witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index lost 0.36% to 11,266.82 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,312 points.About 56% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 6.58%.The foreign institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.28bn or 0.19% to QR675.33bn; mainly on small cap segments.The Arab funds’ marginally lower net buying had its impact on the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn trade across 10 deals.The Arab individuals were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The domestic institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.36%, the All Share Index by 0.28% and the All Islamic Index by 0.31% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.51%, industrials (0.23%), consumer goods and services (0.12%) and real estate (0.1%); while telecom gained 0.78%, insurance (0.2%) and transport (0.18%).As many as 15 stocks gained, while 29 declined and eight were unchanged.Major losers in the main market included Qatar Islamic Bank, Widam Food, Qamco, Dukhan Bank, Gulf International Services, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Estithmar Holding. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Meeza, Baladna, Medicare Group, QLM, QIIB, Al Mahhar Holding, Beema, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar and Milaha were among the movers in the main market.The Arab individual investors’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR6.17mn against QR1.48mn last Thursday.The foreign institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR9.02mn compared to QR231.95mn on September 18.The Arab institutions’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.05mn against QR0.06mn the previous trading day.However, the Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR9.83mn compared with net sellers of QR4.42mn last Thursday.The Gulf individual investors were net buyers to the tune of QR0.16mn against net sellers of QR1.98mn on September 18.The domestic funds’ net selling shrank drastically to QR5.5mn compared to QR129.16mn the previous trading day.The local individual investors’ net selling weakened considerably to QR5.85mn against QR91.58mn last Thursday.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking eased markedly to QR1.53mn compared to QR3.38mn on September 18.The main market saw 51% plunge in trade volumes to 147.65mn shares, 62% in value to QR412.21mn and 17% in deals to 19,963.In the venture market, a total of 0.04mn equities valued at QR0.1mn changed hands across 22 transactions.

Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company (QIMC) has signed an agreement to purchase a 7% stake held by Qatar Oman Investment Company in Qatar Aluminum Extrusion Company (QALEX), bringing its total stake to 52%.QIMC hopes this deal will have a positive impact on the company's profits and shareholder dividends in the medium term, it said in a communique to the Qatar Stock Exchange.Abdulrahman Al Ansari, chief executive officer of QIMC, said QALEX was established in 2009 with a capital of QR100mn.The company produces 30,000 tons of aluminum profiles in various shapes and colors annually to meet the needs of the local market, which is witnessing increasing growth in the construction sector.The company exports its products to more than 20 countries in view of its quality and competitive prices.

Al Mahhar Holding Company, a public shareholding company providing specialised services and products to the energy and infrastructure sectors, has been included in the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series, providing increased visibility to global institutional investors.Inclusion in the FTSE Russell indices marks an important milestone for Al Mahhar, reflecting the company’s alignment with international eligibility and free-float criteria."Inclusion in the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series is a recognition of Al Mahhar's progress as a listed company and our adherence to international standards of transparency and governance," said Fahad Alfardan, chairman of Al Mahhar Holding.It (the inclusion in FTSE) supports the company's visibility with international institutional investors and reflects the growing relevance of Qatari companies in global benchmarks, he said."As we continue to build on our strategy, we view this development as an important step in strengthening Al Mahhar's presence in the capital market," Alfardan said.Through its portfolio of operating companies, Al Mahhar Holding supports key national industries with technical expertise and integrated solutions that contribute to Qatar’s economic development.

Ooredoo Group has sold a minority 6% stake in Meeza- QSTP, Doha's leading managed information technology services and solutions provider, to certain funds managed by Fiera Capital (UK) at the current market price.Following the completion of the transaction, Ooredoo retains a 4% stake in Meeza, the telecom major said in its regulatory filing with the Qatar Stock Exchange."This is considered a non-strategic holding and is intended to be divested at a later stage," the filing said.This partial disposal is line with Ooredoo's strategy to focus on the operation and expansion of its own data centre platform Syntys, which is accelerating the development of artificial intelligence or AI-ready hyperscale data centres across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Qatari lenders were seen to have the highest operational efficiency within the Gulf banks during the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, according to Kamco Invest, a regional non-banking finance entity."Qatari banks continued to boast the lowest cost-to-income ratio in the GCC that reached a seven-quarter low level of 36.6% during Q2-2025," Kamco said in its latest report.At the country level, the aggregates for Qatari banks showed a 110bps (basis points) plunge, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia banks with 70bps and 60bps fall respectively, it said.The aggregate operating expenses for the listed banks in the GCC continued to decline for the second consecutive quarter reaching a three-quarter low level during Q2-2025, Kamco noted.Total operating expenses for the GCC banking sector stood at $13.4bn during Q2 with a quarter-on-quarter decline of 1.5% and a year-on-year growth of 6.9%.The quarterly decline showed mixed trends at the country level with three countries showing an increase and the remaining three showing a decline.The UAE-listed banks showed the biggest fall in operating costs during the quarter that reached $4.6bn from $4.9bn in Q1-2025.Qatari and Bahraini banks also showed declines of 4.5% and 4%, respectively, it said, adding on the other hand, Kuwait banks reported the biggest increase of 4.4% with total operating expenses reaching $1.6bn in Q2-2025.The quarterly increase reported by Saudi and Omani banks was marginal, it added.The decline in operating expenses resulted in a marginal drop in the cost-to-income ratio for the GCC banking sector that once again went below the 40% mark during Q2-2025. The ratio fell by 50bps to 39.5% at the end of the quarter compared to 40% during Q1-2025, reflecting a drop in the ratio for three of six country aggregates.The report found that the Qatari banks' loan-to-deposit ratio was at 90.3% during Q2-2025, an improvement from 89.6% during Q1-2025.The aggregate loan-to-deposit ratio for the GCC banking sector remained elevated above the 80% mark at the end of Q2-2025."The ratio has remained consistently above 80% over the last five quarters and reflects improving asset utilisation as well as better margins to offset pressure from lowering interest rates," it said.Total customer deposits of listed GCC banks reached a new record high at the end of Q2-2025 at $2.74tn, registering a quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.5%.The growth was broad-based as seen in higher quarterly customer deposits in all countries in the GCC.At the country level, Kuwaiti banks saw the strongest growth in deposits at $334.8bn after a quarter-on-quarter growth of 4.7%.The UAE-listed banks were next with a quarterly deposits growth of 4.1% to $941bn, the highest in the GCC, followed by banks in Saudi Arabia with a growth of 3.9% to $858.8bn. Banks in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, have reported slightly smaller customer deposit growth during the quarter, it said.

Market EyeOil price strength and the 25-basis-points rate cut by the US Federal Reserve with the concomitant decision by the Qatar Central Bank had their reflection in the Qatar Stock Exchange, which closed the week on a higher note, ending four straight weeks of bearish run.The foreign funds were seen bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained as much as 215 points and capitalisation add in excess of QR14bn this week which saw Gulf Warehousing Company acquire a 16.15% equity stake in Germany's ANCLA Logistik for a total consideration of €8.2mn.The Arab retail investors were seen bullish in the main market this week which saw Commercial Bank issue a $600mn five-year senior unsecured bond under its Euro Medium Term Note programme.The Arab funds were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw international credit rating agency Fitch assign AlRayan Bank a long-term issuer default rating of 'A' with a "stable" outlook.As much as 74% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main market this week which saw Lesha Bank invest about QR182mn in a private equity global secondaries fund, in partnership with leading investment manager.The Gulf institutions were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.06mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.14mn trade across 25 deals.However, the domestic funds turned net sellers in the main market this week which saw 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.16mn change hands across 26 transactions.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.Market capitalisation zoomed QR14.02bn or 2.12% to QR676.61bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the main market; while it was on the decline in the venture market this week which saw the consumer goods, industrials and realty sectors together constitute more than 79% of the total trade volumes.The Total Return Index soared 1.94%, the All Share Index by 2.08% and the All Islamic Index by 1.29% this week which featured a Fitch study that said Qatar lenders have so far this year raised $8bn and focused on senior unsecured debt issuance.The banks and financial services sector index shot up 3.29%, consumer goods and services (1.88%), insurance (1.13%), industrials (0.92%), realty (0.61%) and transport (0.24%); whereas telecom shrank 1.64% this week which saw NEXX, a logistics artificial intelligence company, in association with Zipto Supply Chain, a leading Chinese cross-border E-commerce logistics provider, establish an advanced smart fulfillment center at Milaha Logistics City, Qatar.The market was skewed towards movers with as many 39 constituents extending gains, while 14 declined this week which saw KPMG in Qatar's view that Doha's national manufacturing strategy, which reinforces broader diversification by targeting high-value industries, will not only have ripple effect beyond industries but also slated to drive growth in infrastructure and realty sectors.Major movers in the main market included Estithmar Holding, Baladna, Qamco, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, AlRayan Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, Medicare Group, Widam Food, Al Mahhar Holding, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Gulf International Services, Qamco, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, QIIB, Ahlibank Qatar, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar and QLM were among the losers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR260.96mn compared with net sellers of QR53.29mn the previous week.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased marginally to QR9.11mn against QR9.09mn the week ended September 11.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR3.72mn compared with net sellers of QR21.79mn a week ago.The Arab institutions’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR0.17mn against QR0.1mn the previous week.However, the domestic funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR159.27mn compared with net buyers of QR10.99mn the week ended September 11.The Qatari individual investors were net profit takers to the extent of QR101.56mn against net buyers of QR53.63mn a week ago.The foreign retail investors’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR8.39mn compared to QR0.33mn the previous week.The Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.73mn against net buyers of QR1.6mn the week ended September 11.The main market saw a 95% surge in trade volumes to 1.05bn shares, 80% in value to QR2.91bn and 23% in deals to 121,622 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes shrank 15% to 2.31mn equities, value by 18% to QR5.94mn and transactions by 39% to 295.

Qatar witnessed a total of 52.55mn transactions valued at QR16.14bn through the country's payment system in August, according to the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) data.The number of transactions and total value grew 1.64% and 0.06% month-on-month respectively in August 2025, the QCB said in its social media handle X.The Qatar Payment System (QPS) is designed on the concept of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and electronic straight through processing (e-STP).The point-of-sales constituted 51% of the payment system transaction, followed by e-commerce 26%, Fawran or instant payment system at 21% and Qatar Mobile Payment or QMP at 2% in the review period.There were 40.79mn card transactions through point-of-sales – which enables merchants to process payments and log transactions – valued at QR8.23bn in August 2025. The card transactions increased 1.14% and 0.12% month-on-month in volume and value respectively.The e-commerce transaction witnessed as many as 9.43mn transactions valued at QR4.24bn in the review period. While the number of transactions jumped 2.72%, total value was down 2.75% compared with July 2025.The point-of-sales and e-commerce together amounted to QR12.48bn through 50.22mn transactions this August, which showed 0.79% decline in value; but rose 1.43% in volume on a monthly basis.Fawran, a real-time payment service in Qatar, allowing users to send and receive money instantly and securely within the country, registered as many as 2mn transactions valued at QR3.38bn in the review period, registering 6.95% and 3.36% month-on-month growth respectively.There have been a total of 3.33mn total registered Fawran accounts in August 2025, growing by 2.69% month-on-month.Fawran was launched in 2024 and system members are QNB, Commercial Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahli Bank, Dukhan Bank, Doha Bank, QIIB and AlRayan BankQMP – which allows immediate transfer of funds between registered customers through any registered payment service providers – saw as many as 333,702 transactions valued at QR278.26mn in August 2025, registering 4.25% and 0.44% growth against July 2025 levels.There has been a total of 1.23mn registered wallets, a 2.5% increase on a monthly basis.The QMP is a centralised payment system that was launched in 2020, to enable individuals and corporates to perform instant fund transfers between e-wallets within payment service providers in Qatar.The system members are QNB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahli Bank, QIIB, Arab Bank, HSBC Qatar, AlRayan Bank, Dukhan Bank, i-pay and Ooredoo Money.The QPS is based on the SWIFT network and messages standards and utilises the SWIFT messages to reconcile and settle the local payments and securities ownership transfers.Qatar's retail payment system comprises electronic cheque clearing system; national network system for ATMS and Points of Sales (NAPS); QMP; direct deposit and debit (QATCH); electronic payment gateway (QPay); wage protection system (WPS); and Fawran.

The Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday entered the third consecutive session of bullish run with its key index gaining 82 points to cross the 11,300 levels, a day after the US Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.73% to 11,307.85 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,208 points.The banks and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 6.97%.The Arab institutions were seen bullish, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR4.66bn or 0.69% to QR676.61bn; mainly on midcap segments.The Arab retail investors’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn trade across 13 deals.The foreign individuals’ lower net profit booking had its marginal impact on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the domestic institutions were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.73%, the All Share Index by 0.72% and the All Islamic Index by 0.48% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index shot up 1.23%, industrials (0.79%) and consumer goods and services (0.24%); while telecom declined 1.41%, insurance (0.45%), transport (0.36%) and real estate (0.23%).As many as 20 stocks gained, while 28 declined and four were unchanged.Major gainers in the main market included Dukhan Bank, Estithmar Holding, Doha Bank, Qamco, QIIB, QNB, Lesha Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services and Qatari Investors Group.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, about 54% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being QIIB, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Ooredoo, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Milaha, Medicare Group, Mannai Corporation and Vodafone Qatar.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR23.95mn compared to QR36.06mn on September 17.The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.06mn against net sellers of QR0.04mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net profit booking declined noticeably to QR1.48mn compared to QR6.74mn on Wednesday.The foreign retail investors’ net selling weakened marginally to QR3.38mn against QR3.79mn on September 17.However, the domestic funds were net sellers to the extent of QR129.16mn compared with net buyers of QR2.65mn the previous day.The local retail investors’ net selling strengthened considerably to QR91.58mn against QR34.57mn on Wednesday.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.42mn compared with net buyers of QR6.81mn on September 17.The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking grew perceptibly to QR1.98mn against QR0.37mn the previous day.The main market saw a 23% surge in trade volumes to 300.22mn shares and 87% in value to QR1.1bn but on 22% shrinkage in deals to 24,042.In the venture market, a total of 0.11mn equities valued at QR0.29mn changed hands across 17 transactions.