The Qatar Stock Exchange Sunday opened the week on a marginally higher note on the back of buying support, especially from domestic institutions.
The consumer goods and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.03% higher at 10,718.28 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,670 points.
The Arab individuals were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 0.41%.
The Gulf institutions’ weakened net selling had its marginal impact on the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR0.37bn or 0.06% to QR638.92bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
The local retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.
The foreign funds were net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw as many as 9,338 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.07mn trade across 10 deals.
The foreign individuals turned bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds and sukuks.
The Islamic index was seen treading a flat path vis-à-vis marginal gains in the other indices of the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index was up 0.03% and the All Share Index by 0.03% in the main bourse.
The consumer goods and services sector index rose 0.39%, banks and financial services (0.28%) and transport (0.01%); while telecom declined 1.43%, insurance (0.25%), industrials (0.2%) and real estate (0.06%).
As many as 25 declined, while 23 gained and six were unchanged in the main market.
Major movers in the main market included Widam Food, Estithmar Holding, Mannai Corporation, Dlala, Meeza, Qatar Oman Investment, Medicare Group and Ezdan.
Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Beema, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Ooredoo, Qatar German Medical Devices, Qamco and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main bourse.
In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.
The domestic funds’ net buying increased substantially to QR12.63mn against QR6.5mn the previous trading day.
The Arab individuals investors’ net buying expanded perceptibly to QR2.41mn compared to QR0.01mn on April 16.
The Gulf institutions’ net selling decreased drastically to QR9.24mn against QR16.09mn last Thursday.
The foreign funds’ net profit booking shrank significantly to QR6.34mn compared to QR12.1mn the previous trading day.
The Gulf retail investors’ net selling weakened marginally to QR0.49mn against QR0.87mn on April 16.
However, the foreign individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.96mn compared with net buyers of QR6.49mn last Thursday.
The local retail investors’ net buying fell noticeably to QR3mn against QR16.12mn the previous trading day.
The Arab funds had no major net exposure compared with net profit takers to the extent of QR0.06mn on April 16.
The main market saw a 10% contraction in trade volumes to 161.19mn shares, 26% in value to QR414mn and 26% in deals to 24,737.
In the venture market, a total of 0.8mn equities valued at QR1.84mn changed hands across 145 transactions.
