A higher than average demand, especially in telecom and transport counters, helped the 20-stock Qatar Index gain 0.96% to 9,910.16 points, recovering from an intraday low of 9,846 points.
About 76% of the traded constituents in the main market extended gains in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 8.5%.
The Gulf institutions were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR5.42bn or 0.95% to QR575.06bn on account of midcap segments.
The local retail investors’ substantially weakened net selling had its influence in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.1mn trade across 18 deals.
The Gulf individuals’ lower net selling also had its say in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic stocks were seen gaining faster than the other indices in the market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index grew 0.96%, the All Share Index by 0.95% and the All Islamic Index by 1.05% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.
The telecom sector index shot up 2.87%, transport (1.39%), banks and financial services (0.91%), real estate (0.81%), insurance (0.74%), consumer goods and services (0.65%) and industrials (0.57%).
Main gainers in the main bourse included Qatar Oman Investment, Alijarah Holding, Ooredoo, Inma Holding, Gulf International Services, Masraf Al Rayan, Lesha Bank, Aamal Company, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa, Nakilat and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Mekdam Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Commercial Bank, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Al Khaleej Takaful were among the shakers in the main bourse.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR10.06mn compared to QR2.12mn on April 4.
The Qatari individuals’ net selling weakened substantially to QR7.76mn against QR49.63mn the previous day.
The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking declined perceptibly to QR0.51mn compared to QR1.66mn last Thursday.
The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.01mn against sellers of QR0.03mn on April 4.
However, the domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened perceptibly to QR7.76mn compared to QR6.89mn the previous day.
The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.6mn against net buyers of QR3.24mn last Thursday.
The Arab individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.54mn compared with net buyers of QR0.55mn on April 4.
The foreign institutions’ net buying declined significantly to QR6.59mn against QR52.28mn the previous day.
Trade volumes in the main market tanked 40% to 114.6mn shares, value by 44% to QR306.03mn and deals by 52% to 9,256.
The venture market saw a more than 12-fold jump in trade volumes at 0.25mn equities, more than 12-fold increase in value to QR0.383mn on more than quadrupled transactions to 26.