Reflecting the general mood in the regional markets on strengthening international oil prices, the Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday gained 50 points on the back of foreign institutions' strong buying interests.
The telecom, insurance and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.5% to 10,041.72 points.
The foreign retail investors turned net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 5.99%.
About 67% of the traded constituents extended gains in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.08bn or 0.36% to QR587.49bn with small and midcap segments gaining the most.
The Gulf individuals were seen bullish, albeit at lower levels in the main market, which regained from an intraday low of 9,966 points.
However, the Gulf institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw as many as 5,055 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR0.01mn trade across three deals.
The domestic funds and the local retail investors turned net sellers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index shed 0.5%, the All Islamic Index by 0.63% and the All Share Index by 0.36% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The telecom sector index soared 2.5%, insurance (0.87%), industrials (0.69%), consumer goods and services (0.31%), banks and financial services (0.13%) and transport (0.01%); while real estate declined 0.72%.
Major gainers in the main market included Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Ooredoo, Qatar Islamic Bank, Lesha Bank, Estithmar Holding, Medicare Group, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf International Services, Qatar Insurance and Nakilat.
Nevertheless, Beema, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Barwa, Milaha and QNB were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares depreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net buying strengthened drastically to QR90.67mn compared to QR11.89mn on November 29.
The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.65mn against net sellers of QR1.34mn on Wednesday.
The Gulf individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.14mn compared with net sellers of QR0.11mn the previous day.
However, the Gulf institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR45.52mn against QR24.37mn on November 29.
The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR24.46mn compared with net buyers of QR5.44mn on Wednesday.
The local retail investors were net profit takers to the extent of QR20.74mn against net buyers of QR6.55mn the previous day.
The Arab individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.74mn compared with net buyers of QR1.95mn on November 29.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session.
Trade volumes in the main market zoomed 90% to 214.36mn shares and value more than doubled to QR918.47mn on 26% jump in deals to 17,464.
The venture market saw 75% plunge in trade volumes to 0.16mn equities, 70% in value to QR0.24mn and 67% in transactions to 27.