The Qatar Stock Exchange Tuesday lost about 23 points and its key index retreated below 10,700 points, mainly dragged by insurance, consumer goods and industrials sectors.
The domestic funds were increasingly into net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.21% to 10,694.23 points.
The market, which was skewed towards shakers, saw its key barometer recover from an intraday low of 10,640 points, especially in the first 120 minutes of opening.
The Arab retail investors were seen net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 0.12%.
The Gulf institutions weakened net buying also had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation saw QR14.29bn or 2.38% fall to QR614.65bn, as Dukhan Bank made its entry into the trading ring.
However, the foreign institutions were increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw a total of 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.26mn changed hands across eight deals.
The foreign individuals were also increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen gaining faster than the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index rose 0.21%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.11% and All Share Index by 0.17% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.
The insurance sector index shot up 1.4%, consumer goods and services (0.58%), industrials (0.58%), real estate (0.55%) and banks and financial services (0.23%); while telecom shot up 2.58% and telecom (0.07%).
About 78% of the traded constituents were in the red with the major losers being Dukhan Bank, Vodafone Qatar, Gulf Warehousing, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Lesha Bank, Inma Holding, Dlala, Qatar National Cement, Salam International Investment, Qamco, Aamal Company, QLM and Beema.
Nevertheless, Nakilat, Estithmar Holding, Qatari Investors Group, QNB and Baladna were among the gainers in the main market. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.
The domestic institutions’ net selling increased noticeably to QR14.25mn compared to QR3.63mn on February 20.
The Arab individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR2.8mn against net buyers of QR0.62mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR4.35mn compared to QR20.66mnm on Monday.
However, the foreign institutions’ net buying expanded drastically to QR25.74mn against QR11.81mn on February 20.
The foreign individual investors’ net buying grew marginally to QR1.49mn compared to QR1.32mn the previous day.
The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.51mn against net profit takers of QR1.87mn on Sunday.
The Arab institutions’ net buying rose marginally to QR0.18mn compared to QR0.13mn on February 20.
The local individuals’ net selling shrank markedly to QR15.21mn against QR29.06mn compared the previous day.
The main market saw a 13% contraction in trade volumes to 123.87mn shares but on 3% jump in value to QR434.07mn and 1% in deals to 14,421.