Qatar Stock Exchange Completes Successful London Investor Forum

May 15, 2018

Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), working with leading investment bank Deutsche Bank and with the collaboration of QNB Financial Services (QNBFS), completed a two day, 8^th and 9^th of May, visit to London that aimed to support the further development and practice of QSE’s listed companies’ investor relations.

The forum is designed to complement the companies’ ongoing investor relations activities through providing an opportunity for the senior management of listed companies to meet key decision makers from a number of the world’s largest international fund managers. 

The two days covered a combination of one-to-one and group meetings and was the first undertaken since the introduction of the new MiFID regime.  Listed companies met with market-leading institutions who represented the most important funds allocating money to Qatar, the GCC and the broader emerging markets. In aggregate the event and associated meetings secured over 80 meeting requests.

Whilst Qatar Stock Exchange has been a member of key global indices, such as MSCI and FTSE Russell, since 2014 it continues to place emphasis on the importance of an ongoing improvement in transparency and ease of access for foreign investors.  Qatar’s recent announcement of a number of key listed companies increasing their foreign ownership limit to 49% is part of that ongoing commitment.

The delegation was led by Rashid al Mansoori, CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange, who said: “We are pleased to once again be working with Deutsche Bank and QNBFS in showcasing some of our leading companies.  We believe developing a diversified investor base, including domestic institutions and a range of international institutional investors with different investment horizons and perspectives, is central to the development of our equity markets and hence our ongoing commitment to events such as these.”

Mr. Al-Mansoori concluded that Qatar’s economy is expected to see an increased GDP for 2018 taking into account the impact of increased forecast oil prices. In addition in the longer term, Qatar’s economy should benefit from a number of recent measures including increased investment in new projects related to the expansion of LNG production and projects aimed at ensuring self-sufficiency and sustainability”. 

On his part, Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Emadi, Listing Department acknowledged the commitment of Qatari companies in attending such events as their investor relations’ efforts complement the work being done at a more macro-level in continuing to improve market infrastructure. He added that the commitment of investors to our market is evidenced by the rally in Qatar, with the Qatar All-Share Index up by 12% to 1st May after nine issuers including, for example, participating companies QNB Group, Industries Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar Electricity & Water announced an increase in their foreign ownership limits.  QNB Financial Services in recent research estimated that this will result in material inflows as part of the MSCI and FTSE rebalancing, which could drive approximately QR7bn (US$2bn) in passive funds into these QSE-listed names.

In addition to the investment forum that brought together listed Qatari companies with international investment funds, QSE also held a consultative meeting with a number of international financial intermediaries and fund managers who are an important part of the market stakeholders in order to identify their vision of what the market needs from development efforts that contribute to maintaining the investment attractiveness of the Qatari market especially in view of the volatile nature of capital flows in emerging markets.

Eight listed corporates, representing blue-chip investment opportunities in the Qatari market used the opportunity to meet with the world’s leading fund managers.  The Qatari companies participating were:  Qatar National Bank, Doha Bank, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Masraf Al Rayan, Ooredoo, Industries Qatar (also covering Gulf International and Mesaieed), Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar Electricity & Water.