The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week weak despite buying interests in Islamic equities.
The buying support from local and non-Qatari retail investors notwithstanding, the 20-stock Qatar Index declined for the second day by 0.3% to 8,891.89 points.
Doha Bank and Masraf Al Rayan sponsored exchange traded funds QETF and QATR, however, bucked the overall trend by witnessing 0.17% and 0.47% gains respectively.
Selling was seen pronounced within the transport, banking and telecom sectors in the market, which is however up 4.32% year-to-date.
The large and microcap segments saw highest profit-booking in the bourse, whose capitalisation declined 0.19% to QR492.93bn.
Trade turnover declined amidst higher volumes in the market, where the telecom and banking sectors together accounted for more than 63% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index shed 0.3% to 15,666.53 points and the All Share Index by 0.04% to 2,624.04 points, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) gained 0.25% to 2,244.04 points.
The transport index shrank 1.31%, followed by banks and financial services (0.39%) and telecom (0.38%); whereas realty gained 0.95%, consumer goods (0.86%), industrials (0.12%) and insurance (0.02%).
About 49% of the stocks were in the red with major shakers being Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat, Milaha, Vodafone Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Industries Qatar and Doha Bank; whereas Ezdan, Aamal Company, Woqod, QIIB and Al Khaleej Takaful were among the gainers.
Domestic funds’ net profit-booking strengthened substantially to QR58.08mn against QR13.52mn on April 12.
Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.99mn compared with net buyers of QR2.09mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari funds’ net buying weakened considerably to QR9.61mn against QR28.35mn the previous trading day.
However, local individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR35.17mn compared with net sellers of QR6.69mn on April 12.
Non-Qatari individual investors were also net buyers to the tune of QR8.93mn against net sellers of QR10.15mn last Thursday.
Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR6.36mn compared with net sellers of QR0.05mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volume grew 2% to 11.62mn shares, while value fell 20% to QR209.74mn and transactions by 18% to 3,037.
The telecom sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 3.91mn equities and value almost doubled to QR37.48mn on a 26% jump in deals to 418.
The insurance sector reported a 31% surge in trade volume to 0.38mn stocks but on a 29% decline in value to QR7.45mn and 9% in transactions to 127.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume expanded 10% to 3.38mn shares, whereas value shrank 22% to QR64.44mn and deals by 20% to 930.
However, the industrials sector saw a 52% plunge in trade volume to 1.95mn equities, 54% in value to QR41.57mn and 27% in transactions to 771.
The transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 45% to 0.29mn stocks, value by 63% to QR4.86mn and deals by 46% to 126.
The market witnessed a 19% shrinkage in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.3mn shares but on a 13% increase in value to QR31.47mn despite 35% lower transactions at 221.
The real estate sector’s trade volume was down 1% to 1.36mn equities, while value shot up 30% to QR22.47mn despite 4% down in deals to 444.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
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