The foreign institutions’ increased net profit booking Monday steered the Qatar Stock Exchange to the negative terrain as it lost 70 points in key index and QR3bn in capitalisation.
Selling pressure, especially in the banking counter, led the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.65% to 10,708.35 points.
The Gulf institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date gains weakened to 0.26%.
The Arab retail investors’ lower net buying interests also had its say in the main bourse, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,793 points.
The Gulf individuals continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main market, whose capitalisation shed QR3.15bn or 0.5% to QR628.86bn with midcap segments losing the most.
The foreign individual investors turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.18mn changed hands across 11 deals.
The local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index fell 0.65%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.58% and All Share Index by 0.56% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.
The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.95%, consumer goods and services (0.46%), industrials (0.44%), transport (0.39%) and real estate (0.32%); whereas insurance shot up 2.1% and telecom 0.49%.
Major losers in the main market include General Insurance and Reinsurance, QIIB, QLM, Widam Food, Zad Holding, QNB, Industries Qatar and Nakilat. Ion the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Gulf International Services, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dlala, Doha Insurance, Qatar Insurance, Alijarah Holding, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Beema and Gulf Warehousing were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the junior market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net selling increased noticeably to QR17.06mn compared to QR7.74mn on August 13.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased considerably to QR6.52mn against QR19.68mn the previous day.
The Arab individuals’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR1.08mn compared to QR3.55mn on Sunday.
However, the foreign individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.97mn against net sellers of QR0.6mn on August 13.
The domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR2.68mn compared with net sellers of QR2.6mn the previous day.
The local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.03mn against net profit takers of QR11.94mn on Sunday.
The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.22mn compared to QR0.35mn on August 13.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.
Trade volumes in the main market fell 6% to 150.6mn shares, while value expanded 15% to QR385.14mn and deals by 55% to 17,194.
The venture market saw a 90% surge in trade volumes to 1.2mn equities, 106% in value to QR2.55mn and 103% in transactions to 237.
