By Santhosh V. Perumal/Business Reporter

Domestic institutions’ increased net buying helped the Qatar Stock Exchange drive back in the positive turf to gain 72 points.

Insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average buying interests, leading to a 0.6% rise in the 20-stock Qatar Index to 12,121.08 points amid lower trade volumes.

However, increased net selling pressure was seen among local retail investors and there was reduced net buying interest from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) institutions and non-Qatari retail investors in the market, which is down 1.34% year-to-date.

Large cap equities gained the maximum in the bourse, where trading was largely skewed towards the real estate and banking sectors, whose stocks together constituted about 59% of the overall trading volume.

Market capitalisation expanded 0.58% or about QR4bn to QR645.39bn with large, micro and mid cap equities gaining 0.78%, 0.24% and 0.21% respectively; even as small caps were down 0.08%.

The Total Return Index rose 0.6% to 18,840.48 points, All Share Index by 0.5% to 3,240.7 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.28% to 4,702.01 points.

Insurance stocks gained 1.04%, banks and financial services (0.67%), realty and telecom (0.57% each) and industrials (0.56%); while transport and consumer goods fell 0.65% and 0.5% respectively.

More than 64% of the traded stocks extended gains with major movers being QNB, Industries Qatar, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Ezdan, Barwa, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, Alijarah Holding, Masraf Al Rayan, Gulf International Services, United Development Company and Nakilat; even as Milaha, Dlala and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices bucked the trend.

Domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened to QR32.32mn compared to QR13.57mn the previous day.

However, local retail investors’ net profit booking increased to QR16.48mn against QR7.44mn on July 1.

The GCC retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.14mn compared with net buyers of QR2.47mn on Wednesday.

The GCC institutions’ net buying weakened to QR6.6mn against QR7.69mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying fell to QR5.12mn compared to QR6.85mn on July 1.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net profit booking rose to QR24.43mn against QR23.14mn on Wednesday.

Total trade volume was down 8% to 4.52mn shares, while value rose 9% to QR224.57mn. Deals were lower by 16% to 2,475.

The market witnessed 70% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to QR0.37mn shares, 62% in value to QR11.13mn and 56% in transactions to 320.

The industrials sector’s trade volume plummeted 24% to 0.41mn stocks, value by 26% to QR29.14mn and deals by 15% to 524.

However, there was 67% surge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.05mn shares, 83% in value to QR5.13mn and 35% in transactions to 50.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume soared 60% to 0.77mn equities, while value shrank 4% to QR16.81mn. Deals rose 40% to 307.

The transport sector reported 42% expansion in trade volume to 0.27mn stocks and 12% in value to QR6.91mn but on 35% fall in transactions to 66.

The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 10% to 1.49mn shares and value by 53% to QR55.69mn; while deals declined 19% to 439.

There was 9% rise in the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume to 1.16mn equities, 34% in value to QR99.75mn and 9% in transactions to 769.

In the debt market, a total of 7,500 treasury bills valued at QR74.69mn changed across one deal; while there was no trading of government bonds.

Related Story