Investors’ Intent to Invest in Stock Market: An Exploratory Post-COVID Study for Oman

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the landscape of investment. This study investigates the investors’ intent to invest in the Oman stock market in general and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used semi-structured interviews to gather opinions from investors and experts. A set of 20 questions was formulated, including an open-ended question regarding investment intent and behaviour. The interview questions cover the respondents’ demographics, factors affecting investment decisions, investment challenges, COVID-19 lessons learned, and digital and technology asset investment intentions. The interviews were recorded using MS Team, and transcripts were created and analysed by NVivo 14. The results revealed that investors have a positive outlook on the Oman stock market and plan to invest in technology assets in the future. The study found that ESG considerations, market regulations, and economic conditions significantly influence investor behaviour. COVID-19 has altered investment strategies, with investors now prioritizing healthcare and technology stocks, adjusting assets, and learning to tolerate risk.