The Qatar Stock Exchange Thursday fell more than 20 points on the back of selling pressure especially in the consumer goods and banking sectors.
The foreign institutions were increasingly net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.2% to 10,271.46 points.The Arab individuals were seen increasingly into net profit booking in the main market, which however regained from an intraday low of 10,218 points.More than 55% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose year-to-date losses increased to 3.83%.The foreign retail investors turned bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation however was up QR0.59bn or 0.1% to QR611.44bn, mainly on account of microcap segments.However, the domestic institutions were increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw a total of 13,644 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn changed hands across eight deals.The Gulf funds were increasingly bullish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main index in the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index was down 0.2%, All Share Index by 0.21% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.04% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The consumer goods and services sector index fell 0.53%, banks and financial services (0.48%) and industrials (0.1%); while real estate gained 1.85%, insurance (0.21%), telecom (0.14%) and transport (0.13%).Major losers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar National Cement, Inma Holding, Widam Food, Al Khaleej Takaful, Commercial Bank, QIIB, Al Meera, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Estithmar Holding. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding shares depreciated in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Ezdan, Dukhan Bank, United Development Company, Qatar Insurance, Mazaya Qatar and Nakilat were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR48.18mn compared to QR28.79mn on June 14.The Arab retail investors’ net selling shot up considerably to QR16.08mn against QR1.9mn the previous day.The foreign individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.88mn compared with net buyers of QR15.06mn on Wednesday.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR38.52mn against QR9.3mn on June 14.The Gulf institutional investors’ net buying grew drastically to QR31.89mn compared to QR15.83mn the previous day.The Gulf individual investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.04mn against net sellers of QR1.83mn on Wednesday.The Qatari individuals’ net profit booking eased noticeably to QR0.32mn compared to QR7.68mn on June 14.The Arab institutions had no major next exposure for the fifth straight session.The main market saw a 36% surge in trade volumes to 343.55mn shares, 92% in value to QR1.07bn and 21% in deals to 22,914.The volumes in the venture market shrank 29% to 0.37mn equities, value by 32% to QR0.84mn and transactions by 40% to 48.