The Qatar Stock Exchange inched near the 9,200 levels mainly on buying interests from foreign and domestic institutions.

Robust demand, especially for the industrials scrips, led the 20-stock Qatar Index to gain 0.42% to 9,174.66 points, although it inched near 9,250 points intra-day.

Investors mainly scouted for large-cap stocks in the market, whose capitalisation grew 0.42% to QR504.37bn.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the rise in the bourse, where the banking, industrials and real estate sectors together accounted for about 84% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index gained 0.42% to 15,385.36points and the All Share Index by 0.17% to 2,623.17 points, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index was down 0.03% to 3,686.7 points.

The industrials index gained 1.36%, followed by transport (0.32%), consumer goods (0.16%) and telecom (0.01%); while insurance declined 1.09%, realty (0.17%) and banks and financial services (0.07%).

Major gainers included Industries Qatar, QNB, Qatar Electricity and Water, United Development Company, Barwa, Milaha, Qatar First Bank, Alijarah Holding, Widam Food and Mannai Corporation; even as Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Islamic Holding Group, Medicare Group, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf International Services, Ezdan, Gulf Warehousing and Vodafone Qatar were among the losers.

Domestic institutions’ net buying increased influentially to QR32.28mn compared to QR30.49mn on January 11.

Non-Qatari funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR12.88mn against net sellers of QR10.29mn the previous trading day.

Gulf retail investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR0.97mn compared with net sellers of QR9.27mn last Thursday.

However, local individuals’ net selling strengthened considerably to QR35.14mn against QR14.91mn on January 11.

Non-Qatari retail investors were net profit-takers to the tune of QR13.18mn compared with net buyers of QR0.15mn the previous trading day.

Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR2.15mn against QR3.86mn last Thursday.

Total trade volume rose 30% to 16.78mn shares and value by 1% to QR294.83mn, while deals fell 21% to 4,308.

The telecom sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 1.65mn equities and value shot up 69% to QR21.26mn, whereas transactions shrank 22% to 329.

The banks and financial services sector saw a 55% surge in trade volume to 9.09mn stocks and 20% in value to QR145.2mn but on a 19% decline in deals to 1,694.

The real estate sector’s trade volume expanded 7% to 2.02mn shares and value by 17% to QR33.48mn, while transactions declined 14% to 621.

The market witnessed a 3% increase in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 2.96mn equities but on a 33% shrinkage in value to QR51.25mn and 18% in deals to 957.

The transport sector’s trade volume was up 2% to 0.41mn stocks and value by 21% to QR11.31mn, whereas transactions tanked 12% to 262.

However, there was a 45% plunge in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.48 shares, 30% in value to QR27.13mn and 37% in deals to 408.

The insurance sector’s trade volume declined 6% to 0.17mn equities while value rose 4% to QR5.2mn despite 70% slump in transactions to 37.

In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.

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