By Santhosh V. Perumal
Business Reporter
Qatar Stock Exchange was back in negative terrain with its key index losing 187 points to retreat below 13,400 levels.
Realty, consumer goods and insurance sectors were seen instrumental in dragging the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) 1.39% to 13,330.93 points amid rising volumes.
Local retail and institutional investors squared off their positions in the bourse, which is, however, 28.43% year-to-date.
Overall, trading was skewed towards banks and real estate, which together accounted for about 72% of total volume.
The Total Return Index shed 1.39% to 19,882.96 points, All Share Index by 1.37% to 3,388.77 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 2.14% to 4,482.2 points.
Market capitalisation eroded 1.01% or more than QR7bn to QR727.69bn with micro, mid, small and large caps melting 2.97%, 1.64%, 1.63% and 0.88% respectively.
Realty stocks plunged 3.37%, consumer goods (3.23%), insurance (1.56%), banks and financial services (1.03%), telecom (1.01%), transport (0.78%) and industrials (0.47%).
More than 88% of the stocks were in the red with major losers being United Development Company, Barwa, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, Al Meera, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, al khaliji, Vodafone Qatar, Alijarah Holding, Gulf International Services, Al Khaleej Takaful and Gulf Warehousing.
However, Industries Qatar and Islamic Holding Group were seen bucking the trend.
Qatari retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR24.61mn against net buyers of QR67.93mn the previous day.
Domestic institutions also turned net profit takers to the extent of QR41.26mn compared with net buyers of QR21.39mn on Wednesday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying rose to QR5.72mn against QR0.65mn on November 26.
Foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR60.15mn compared with net sellers of QR89.97mn the previous day.
Total trade volume expanded 83% to 14.69mn shares, value by 27% to QR828.46mn and transactions by 38% to 7,262.
The real estate sector’s trade volume almost quadrupled to 6.37mn equities and value almost tripled to QR170.95mn on more than doubled deals to 1,891.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.64mn stocks and value also more than doubled to QR63.04mn on more than doubled transactions to 630.
There was 63% surge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.34mn shares, 52% in value to QR20.08mn and 60% in deals to 189.
The banks and financial services sector reported 37% rise in trade volume to 4.18mn equities, 12% in value to QR346.89mn and 24% in transactions to 2,438.
The telecom sector saw its trade volume soar 33% to 1mn stocks, even as value fell 2% to QR27.22mn and deals by 13% to 355.
The transport sector’s trade volume shot up 32% to 0.54mn shares, value by 59% to QR28.2mn and transactions by 54% to 266.
The industrials sector’s trade volume was up 4% to 1.61mn equities but value shrank 13% to QR172.06mn. Deals rose 4% to 1,493.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
