Strong buying interests of foreign funds and the bullish outlook of their domestic counterparts on Wednesday helped the Qatar Stock Exchange drive through positive trajectory, albeit at lower levels.

Transport, insurance, banking and realty counters witnessed higher-than-average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.2% up at 9,109.64 points.

Masraf Al Rayan sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR witnessed marginal 0.08% gains; while Doha Bank-sponsored QETF fell 0.22%.

However, local retail investors turned bearish and Gulf funds were increasingly profit-takers in the market, which is up 6.88% year-to-date.

Buying interests were visible within midcap segments on the bourse, whose capitalisation was up 0.13% to QR508.93bn.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase on the market, where industrials and banking sectors together accounted for about 57% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index gained 0.2% to 16,050.17 points, All Share Index by 0.2% to 2,713.95 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.03% to 2,281.05 points.

The transport index soared 3.48%, insurance (0.89%), banks and financial services (0.65%) and realty (0.44%); whereas industrials declined 1.21%, telecom (1.12%) and consumer goods (0.33%).

Major gainers included Milaha, Commercial Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Dlala, Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, QNB, Untied Development Company, Al Khaleej Takaful and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices.

Nevertheless, Gulf International Services, Alijarah Holding, Masraf Al Rayan, Industries Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, Vodafone Qatar and Ooredoo were among the major losers.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying strengthened influentially to QR27.96mn compared to QR5.73mn on April 24.

Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.46mn against net profit takers of QR20.5mn the previous day

However, the Gulf institutions’ net selling increased significantly to QR14.83mn compared to QR6.8mn on Tuesday.

Local individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR11.68mn against net buyers of QR21.32mn on April 24.

Non-Qatari individuals’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR6.58mn compared to QR0.14mn the previous day.

The Gulf individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.35mn against net buyers of QR0.45mn on Tuesday.

Total trade volume rose 22% to 12.18mn shares, value by 14% to QR320.97mn and transactions by 17% to 4,712.

The transport sector reported 79% surge in trade volume to 1.11mn equities, 99% in value to QR24.81mn and 65% in deals to 534.

The insurance sector’s trade volume soared 75% to 0.49mn stocks and value by 28% to QR13.18mn, while transactions shrank 41% to 135.

The real estate sector saw 52% increase in trade volume to 1.38mn shares to more than double value to QR29.4mn on 80% jump in deals to 610.

The telecom sector’s trade volume shot up 30% to 1.8mn equities and value by 17% to QR24.77mn, even as transactions were down 4% to 322.

There was 13% expansion in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 4.51mn stocks, 2% in value to QR96.41mn and 28% in deals to 1,165.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume was up 8% to 2.39mn shares, value by 3% to QR81.93mn and transactions by 12% to 1,345.

However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume declined 19% to 0.5mn equities, whereas value rose less than 1% to QR50.47mn despite 12% lower deals at 601.

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

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