Doha: Qatar Exchange index gained 70.60 points (0.69 percent) this week when the bourse closed at 10,283.00 points here last afternoon.
The trading value of QR2,596,305,635.52 this week is an increase by 37.45 percent compared to QR1,888,872,301.67 registered last week.
The trading volume of 82,015,809 shares was an increase by 47.43 percent compared to 55,631,366 shares last week, while the number of 35,140 transactions was an increase 31.66 percent compared to 26,689 transactions.
The market capitalization of QR553,188,359,998.46 was an increase by 0.62 percent compared to QR549,780,114,049.06 at the end of the previous week.
Real estate led the traded value this week with 28.16 percent of the total traded value. Industries accounted for 24.05 percent. Banks and financial services accounted for 23.61 percent and consumer goods and services accounted for 12.01 percent.
Real estate led the traded volume this week with 38.22% of the total traded volume. Banks and financial services sector accounted for 17.27 percent. Telecoms accounted for 14.59 percent, and industries accounted for 14.44 percent.
Elsewhere in the region, Bahrain’s index climbed 0.7 percent yesterday as Ahli United Bank recovered, after dropping 2.2 percent in the previous session following announcements of share sales by “key persons” - a legal term for board members and top executives.
Egypt’s main stock index ended a week-long rally yesterday, falling 0.6 percent after a suicide car bombing killed at least 10 soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula and four policemen were wounded by a hand grenade at a checkpoint near Cairo.
Egyptian stocks have been on the rise since the ouster of former president Mohammed Mursi in July, driven largely by local retail investors who support the new army-backed government - but are wary of any escalation of violence.
“Yesterday was a dramatic day and the country has entered a period of mourning,” said Cairo-based independent financial analyst Osama Mourad.
Before the attacks, the index was rallying on hopes for fresh financial aid from the Gulf states and against a backdrop of increasing stability and security — a perception which, at least temporarily, was dented on Wednesday.
The Egyptian index also faced resistance after closing near the psychologically important level of 6,500 points in the previous session, Mourad added.
Dubai’s main index briefly rose yesterday above 2,900 points, an area of major technical resistance established in late October and early November, but then came off its highs to close at 2,891 points, up just 0.1 percent.
Many of the stocks that had lifted the index 1.1 percent on Wednesday closed in the red. Developer Emaar was down 0.3 percent, telecommunications operator du dropped 1.3 percent and Mahsreq bank lost 7.8 percent. In the short term, further gains in Dubai may well depend on whether the emirate is successful in its bid to host the Expo 2020 world fair.
QNA/Reuters
