By Santhosh V. Perumal
Business Reporter
Prospects of strengthening crude, amid Yemen issue, appear to have lifted the sentiments in the Qatar Stock Exchange, which on Sunday inched near the 11,500 mark.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) retail and institutions as well as foreign individual investors were seen bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.68% to 11,488.41 points amid fall in trade volumes.
Buying interests were seen strong within realty, insurance and industrials counters in the market, which is however down 6.49% year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen gaining slower than the other indices in the bourse, where banking and real estate stocks accounted for about 69% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation rose 0.52% or more than QR3bn to QR620.66bn with small, micro, mid and large cap stocks gaining 0.99%, 0.64%, 0.34% and 0.2% respectively.
The Total Return Index gained 0.68% to 17,775.1 points, All Share Index by 0.59% to 3,065.82 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.49% to 4,188.96 points.
Realty stocks appreciated 1.99%, insurance (1.18%), industrials (0.74%), banks and financial services (0.26%) and telecom (0.08%); while transport and consumer goods fell 0.65% and 0.17% respectively.
About 68% of the stocks extended gains with major movers being Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, International Islamic, Dlala, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Widam Food, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat.
However, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, al khaliji, Aamal Company and United Development Company bucked the trend.
The GCC institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR13.44mn against net sellers of QR30.5mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari retail investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR7.4mn compared with net sellers of QR18.17mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari institutions were marginally net buyers to the tune of QR0.79mn against net sellers of QR17.02mn on March 26.
The GCC individual investors’ net buying fell to QR17.79mn compared to QR29.14mn the previous trading day.
Domestic institutions’ net buying sunk to QR0.44mn against QR93.68mn last Thursday.
Local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened to QR39.9mn compared to QR57.12mn on March 26.
Total trade volume fell 38% to 7.42mn shares, value by 42% to QR317.7mn and transactions by 53% to 3,571.
The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 71% to 0.05mn stocks, value by 73% to QR3.19mn and deals by 55% to 42.
The real estate sector saw its trade volume plunge 65% to 1.33mn equities, value by 76% to QR22.7mn and transactions by 67% to 491.
The market witnessed 59% shrinkage in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 0.8mn shares, 62% in value to QR50.81mn and 53% in deals to 765.
The telecom sector’s trade volume tanked 56% to 0.88mn stocks, value by 73% to QR15.37mn and transactions by 86% to 238.
The consumer goods sector witnessed 48% fall in trade volume to 0.33mn equities, while value rose 23% to QR36.08mn. Deals were down 13% to 535.
The transport sector saw its trade volume decline 47% to 0.24mn shares, value by 52% to QR9.6mn and transactions by 54% to 91.
However, the banks and financial services sector reported 26% expansion in trade volume to 3.78mn stocks; even as value fell 11% to QR179.95mn and deals by 27% to 1,409.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
