The Qatar Stock Exchange Monday opened the week with a marginal 10-point gain although 66% of the traded constituents were in the red.
The foreign and domestic funds were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.09% higher at 10,986.55 points although it touched an intraday high of 11,082 points.
The telecom, banking and insurance counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date losses stood at 5.5%.
The foreign retail investors’ weakened net selling had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation saw QR2.46bn or 0.4% increase to QR621.75bn, mainly on small cap segments.
The local retail investors continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.18mn changed hands across 17 deals.
The Islamic index was seen declining vis-à-vis gains in the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the main market, while in the venture market, trade turnover declined amidst higher volumes.
The Total Return Index was up 0.09% and All Share Index by 0.28%, while Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) fell 0.3%.
The telecom sector index shot up 1.47%, banks and financial services (1.07%) and insurance (0.35%); while industrials declined 1.09%, consumer goods and services (0.91%), transport (0.67%) and real estate (0.1%).
Major gainers in the main market included Qatar Islamic Insurance, QNB, QIIB, Ooredoo, Medicare Group and Qatar Insurance. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Gulf Warehousing, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dlala, Commercial Bank, Baladna, Industries Qatar, Inma Holding, Estithmar Holding, Qatar National Cement and Qatari Investors Group. In the junior bourse, Mekdam Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
The foreign funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR3.88mn compared with net sellers of QR15.19mn on December 15.
The domestic institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR1.11mn against net profit takers of QR17.4mn last Thursday.
The foreign individuals’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR0.77mn compared to QR2.24mn the previous trading day.
However, the Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.54mn against net buyers of QR0.48mn on December 15.
The Arab individual investors were also net sellers to the extent of QR1.04mn compared with net buyers of QR4.32mn last Thursday.
The Gulf retail investors turned net profit takers to tune of QR0.65mn against net buyers of QR2.6mn the previous trading day.
The local retail investors’ net buying decreased substantially to QR1.94mn compared to QR27.4mn on December 15.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net buyers to the extent of QR0.03mn last Thursday.
Total trade volume in the main market declined 44% to 76.72mn shares, value by 48% to QR364.22mn and deals by 10% to 15,400.
The venture market saw 22% jump in trade volumes to 0.11mn equities but on 10% shrinkage in value to QR0.52mn amidst more than doubled transactions to 49.
