Qatar Stock Exchange rises, Bahrain Financial Market's performance is mixed today
Gulf stock markets witnessed mixed performance during the last trading session, with the Qatar Stock Exchange a notable rise, while the Bahraini market faced selling pressures that led to a decline in its general index, in a scene that reflects the state of anticipation that prevails among investors in the region and their reaction to local and global economic data.
Positive performance for the Qatar Stock Exchange amid strong liquidity
The Qatar Stock Exchange's main index closed in positive territory today, rising 34.87 points , or 0.32%, to settle at 10,798.14 points . This increase reinforces investor confidence in the strength of the Qatari market and its ability to attract liquidity despite global economic challenges.
Trading activity was brisk during the session, with over 94.8 million shares , totaling more than QAR 273.9 million , through 12,801 transactions across various listed sectors. This high trading volume reflects the eagerness of both institutions and individuals to capitalize on available investment opportunities, particularly in leading stocks.
In terms of company performance, the balance was evenly split between gains and losses, with 23 companies seeing their market capitalization increase, while 26 companies experienced declines, and 4 companies maintained their price stability. This positive performance of the index was reflected in the stock exchange's market capitalization, which jumped to over SAR 647.4 billion , compared to approximately SAR 644.3 billion in the previous session, representing significant market gains for investors.
Bahraini market: Divergence between the general and Islamic indices
In contrast, the Bahrain Bourse took a different course, with the Bahrain All Share Index closing lower at 2,065.12 points , a loss of 3.23 points compared to the previous close. This decline is primarily attributed to pressure on the financial sector index , which is the main driver of the Bahraini market due to its significant weighting.
In contrast to the overall index, the Bahrain Islamic Index resilience and positive performance, closing higher at 1,031.48 points, a gain of 0.67 points. This divergence reflects the differing investor preferences between conventional and Sharia-compliant stocks, and their search for diverse investment options within the same market.
Trading volume on the Bahrain Stock Exchange reached approximately 1.59 million shares, with a total value of nearly 447,000 Bahraini dinars, executed through 71 transactions. The financial sector attracted the lion's share of investor interest, accounting for 70.11% of total traded liquidity, underscoring the strategic importance of the banking and financial services sector within the Bahraini economy.
The economic context and the importance of financial markets
These daily movements in the Gulf stock markets are of particular importance given the ongoing efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to diversify their sources of income and reduce their dependence on oil, in line with their future economic visions. The Qatari and Bahraini stock exchanges are considered vital platforms reflecting the health of the non-oil economy, playing a pivotal role in attracting foreign and domestic investment.
Analysts believe that the stability of the Qatar Stock Exchange above current support levels and the rise in market capitalization is a positive indicator in the medium term, while the fluctuation of the Bahraini market reflects the nature of momentary interactions with the performance of the banking sector, which is usually affected by interest rates and global monetary policies.
