The domestic funds were seen increasingly into profit booking as the Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday lost 17 points.
Higher than average selling pressure at the transport, banking and insurance sectors led the 20-stock Qatar Index to shed 0.16% to 10,342.43 points.
The market, which was marginally skewed towards gainers, however touched an intraday high of 10,374 points.
The Arab retail investors were net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.17%.
The foreign individual investors turned bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR0.43bn or 0.07% to QR601.47bn, mainly on account of microcap segments.
The local retail investors’ marginally weakened net buying had its say on the main market, which saw a total of 0.18mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR1.1mn changed hands across 53 deals.
However, the foreign institutions were net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen gaining vis-a-vis declines in the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index shed 0.16% and the All Share Index by 0.18%, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was up 0.05% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the incline.
The transport sector index lost 0.93%, banks and financial services (0.72%) and insurance (0.44%); while telecom gained 2.58%, consumer goods and services (1.55%), real estate (0.63%) and industrials (0.09%).
Major losers in the main market included QLM, Beema, Mekdam Holding, Milaha, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan and Al Khaleej Takaful. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Widam Food, Gulf Warehousing, Ooredoo, Woqod, Estithmar Holding, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Doha Insurance, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main market.
The domestic institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR48.32mn compared to QR27.04mn on April 5.
The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR2.02mn against net buyers of QR2.58mn the previous day.
The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR1.62mn compared with net buyers of QR1.52mn on Wednesday.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased considerably to QR8.67mn against QR13.71mn on April 5.
The local retail investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR11.45mn compared to QR11.49mn the previous day.
However, the foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR31.4mn against net sellers of QR0.06mn on Wednesday.
The Gulf individual investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.44mn compared with net profit takers of QR0.12mn on April 5.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net profit takers to the extent of QR2.05mn the previous day.
In the main market, trade volumes expanded 28% to 175.61mn shares, value by 24% to QR416.63mn and deals by 17% to 14,920.
