+ A
A -
Satyendra Pathak
Doha
Qatari shares are all set to start trading in 2018 on a positive note as the market has already begun trimming losses suffered due to the ongoing siege imposed on the country by the Saudi-led bloc.
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) erased a good portion of its siege-triggered losses in December as the market surged 809 points, or 10.49 percent, to finish the month at 8,523.38 points against 7,714.26 points in November.
The month also saw the stock market's capitalisation surge 12.88 percent to QR472.02 billion from QR418.15 billion in the previous month.
While the QSE main index has trimmed losses on optimism that the high-spending state budget for 2018 will support the nation's economic growth, it ended 18.33 percent down in 2017. Most of the Qatari stocks will begin trading in the new year from their lowest levels since early 2010.
According to fund managers and market analysts, Qatari stocks will continue December's gaining momentum into 2018 and make up for the losses suffered in 2017. Qatari bourse has taken in all negative factors in the previous year that in turn would stimulate investors, Mubasher Qatar quoted Ahmed Eid, a market analyst, as saying. Page 17
