By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter

 

 

Strong buying interests from foreign institutions yesterday lifted the Qatar Exchange after a two-day bearish spell.

Domestic institutions’ strong profit-booking notwithstanding, the 20-stock QE Index (based on price data) gained 0.18% to 8,495.25 points.

The realty and banking stocks came under the buying spotlight in the market, which is up 1.63% year-to-date (YTD).

Consumer goods, industrials, telecom, transport and banking sectors outperformed the index, gaining 7.42%, 6.51%, 6.01%, 4.83% and 4.03% YTD respectively. The real estate indices rose by 1.26%, while insurance was in the negative turf.

Major gainers included QNB, Masraf Al Rayan, al khaliji, Gulf International Services, Barwa and United Development Company, even as Industries Qatar, Qatari Investors Group and Nakilat bucked the trend.

The 20-stock Total Return Index rose 0.18% to 11,837.45 points, the All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) by 0.11% to 2,110.13 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.16% to 2,565.83 points. All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.

Under the All Share Index category, the index of realty surged 1.13% and banks and financial services by 0.74%; whereas insurance declined 1.98%, followed by transport (0.79%), consumer goods (0.46%), industrials (0.40%) and telecom (0.18%).

Market capitalisation expanded 0.11%, or QR52mn, to QR464.84bn mainly on a 0.38% gain in large cap equities, while small and micro caps fell 0.16% and 0.14% respectively.

Mid and large cap equities have gained 2.43% and 0.79% YTD respectively, while small and micro caps lost 2.92% and 2.39% respectively.

Of the 42 stocks, 18 advanced, while 19 declined, two were unchanged and three were not traded.

Foreign institutions turned net buyers to the extent of 32.33% or QR76.84mn. A much higher 47.67% of them bought equities compared to 26.51% on Tuesday, while a much lower 15.34% offloaded against 28.62%.

Domestic institutions’ net selling surged to 23.49% or QR55.83mn. A higher 20.55% of them were into buying against 16% the previous day, whereas a much higher 44.04% of them into selling compared to 21.85%.

Qatari individual investors turned were net-profit takers to the tune of 5.97% or QR14.19mn. A much lower 22.72% of them purchased equities compared to 43.54% on Tuesday and a lower 28.69% sold against 38.89%.

Non-Qatari retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of 2.87% or QR6.82mn. A lower 9.06% of them bought equities compared to 13.96% the previous day, while a marginally higher 11.93% sold against 10.64%.

Total trading volume flat at 4.86mn shares, but value gained 31% to QR237.66mn and deals by 20% to 3,129.

The real estate sector’s trading volume more than doubled to 1.73mn shares and value more than tripled to QR40.05mn as transactions more than doubled to 686.

The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume gained 7% to 1.74mn shares, but value more than doubled to QR104.02mn on a 50% jump in deals to 1,199.

However, the insurance sector’s trading volume plummeted 78% to 0.04mn shares, value by 77% to QR2.05mn and transactions by 67% to 47.

The telecom sector’s trading volume plunged 59% to 0.13mn shares, value by 31% to QR6.22mn and deals by 6% to 119.

The industrials sector’s trading volume tanked 57% to 0.66mn shares, value by 32% to QR52.64mn and transactions by 28% to 624.

The transport sector’s trading volume declined 7% to 0.41mn shares and value by 28% to QR6.73mn, whereas deals expanded 50% to 216.

The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume was flat at 0.14mn shares, while value soared 88% to QR25.93mn but transactions were flat at 238.

Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Barwa (1.22mn shares); QNB (403,944); Nakilat (402,235); Mazaya Qatar (388,546) and Rayan (281,527).

In the debt market, as many a 10,000 treasury bills (TA52) valued at QR99.23mn traded.

 

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