The QSE market capitalisation yesterday expanded 1.76% to QR796.22bn.
By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter
The Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday fell marginally but its key index maintained an eight-year high, while capitalisation gained another QR14bn.
Buying interests in industrials, insurance and realty was negated by profit-booking, especially in the transport, banking and telecom sectors, as the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) was down 0.05% to 12,954.93 points.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was, however, seen to lose its sheen compared to indices in the bourse, which is up 24.81% year-to-date.
Trading volume was on the decline and was mainly skewed towards consumer goods, banking, real estate and telecom equities.
The 20-stock Total Return Index was down 0.05% to 19,318.59 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.1% to 4,275.61, while the All Share Index (with wider constituents) was up 0.05% to 3,334.21. All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.
Transport stocks shrank 0.84%, followed by banks and financial services (0.42%), telecom (0.23%) and consumer goods (0.17%); whereas industrials gained 1.08%, insurance (0.2%) and real estate (0.18%).
Major losers included Commercial Bank, International Islamic, Masraf Al Rayan, al khaliji, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat and Widam Food.
However, QNB, Industries Qatar, Ezdan, Gulf International Services, Qatar Islamic Bank, United Development Company, Doha Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar Islamic Insurance and Al Meera bucked the trend.
Market capitalisation expanded 1.76% to QR796.22bn. Small, micro and large cap equities gained 0.89%, 0.82% and 0.52% respectively; even as mid caps melted 0.61%.
Qatari retail investors’ net selling rose to QR45.21mn compared to QR44.49mn the previous day.
Domestic institutions’ net profit-booking plunged to QR26.96mn against QR85.35mn on Wednesday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying marginally shrank to QR1.43mn compared to QR28.85mn the previous day.
Foreign institutions’ net buying fell to QR70.5mn compared to QR106.29mn on Wednesday.
Total trading volume fell 16% to 30.2mn stocks, value by 18% to QR1.19bn and transactions by 7% to 13,406.
The transport sector’s trading volume plummeted 60% to 1.68mn equities, value by 59% to QR51.05mn and deals by 45% to 683.
The industrials sector saw its trading volume plunge 48% to 1.82mn shares, value by 35% to QR132.25mn and transactions by 26% to 2,139.
The real estate sector’s trading volume tanked 46% to 5.45mn stocks, value by 48% to QR162.4mn and deals by 32% to 1,933.
The banks and financial services sector reported a 27% shrinkage in trading volume to 6.95mn equities, 19% in value to QR378.6mn and 9% in transactions to 3,630.
The telecom sector’s trading volume was down less than 1% to 4.35mn shares, value by 14% to QR92.06mn and deals by 5% to 1,053.
However, the consumer goods sector’s trading volume more than doubled to 7.67mn stocks; value expanded 30% to QR256.42mn and deals by 53% to 2,722.
The insurance sector’s trading volume more than doubled to 2.28mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR120.11mn on more than doubled transactions to 1,246.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
