The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday witnessed a rollercoaster ride for most part of the session before settling marginally lower despite buying interests in five of the seven sectors.The local retail investors were seen increasingly net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed about four points or 0.04% to 10,467.97 points, but recovering from an intraday low of 10,459 points.The foreign institutions’ weakened net buying interests had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR0.75bn or 0.12% to QR612.32bn on the back of microcap and small cap segments.However, about 56% of the traded constituents were seen extending gains to investors in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at mere QR0.04mn changed hands across six deals.The foreign retail investors turned bearish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The Islamic index was seen making gains vis-à-vis declines in the other indices in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf institutions continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index was down 0.04% and the All Share Index by 0.1%, while the All Islamic Index rose 0.41% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index shed 0.59% and industrials 0.06%; whereas telecom declined 1.26%, real estate (1.06%), transport (0.86%), insurance (0.44%) and consumer goods and services (0.39%).Major losers in the main market included Beema, Aamal Company, Doha Insurance, Gulf International Services, Nakilat and Industries Qatar.In the junior bourse, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices, Milaha, Inma Holding, Qamco, Lesha Bank, Meeza, Qatari Investors Group, Ooredoo and United Development Company were among the movers in the main market.The Qatari individual investors’ net selling increased noticeably to QR22.05mn compared to QR15.37mn on January 16.The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR1.4mn against net buyers of QR1.58mn last Thursday.The foreign funds’ net buying decreased substantially to QR0.04mn compared to QR44.49mn the previous trading day.However, the domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR23.65mn against net sellers of QR4.28mn on January 16.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR1.1mn compared with net profit takers of QR0.9mn last Thursday.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.23mn against net sellers of QR0.29mn the previous trading day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking weakened significantly to QR1.56mn compared to QR25.3mn on January 16.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net buyers to the tune of QR0.1mn last Thursday.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 13% to 139.96mn shares, value by 32% to QR267.48mn and deals by 29% to 10,539.The venture market saw a 65% contraction in trade volumes to 0.24mn equities, 63% in value to QR0.66mn and 20% in transactions to 49.

Santhosh V. Perumal
Santhosh V. Perumal, a postgraduate in Econometrics with an advance qualification in Capital Markets and Financial Services, is Gulf Times' journalist. His coverage areas are debt and equity, hydrocarbons, international trade, environment, banks, insurance and real estate. Previously, he was in New Delhi, India as Senior Finance Correspondent of PTI.
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