The Qatar Exchange made marginal gains of 0.06% for the second day and its key index inched near the 8,400 mark yesterday.
Traders at the exchange
Domestic institutions’ buying support led the 20-stock benchmark to add five points to 8,393.25 points. The market is however down 3.32% year-to-date.
Commercialbank, Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat and Ezdan Real Estate were among the prime gainers.
The indices of services and banks rose 0.27% and 0.01%; while those of insurance and industry fell 0.74% and 0.07% respectively.
Market capitalisation was up 0.13% or QR57mn at QR446.73bn with large, micro and mid cap equities gaining 0.21%, 0.19% and 0.13% respectively; even as small caps fell 0.45%.
Of the 42 stocks, 13 advanced, while 21 declined, three were unchanged and five were not traded.
Domestic institutions turned bullish that they were net buyers to the extent of 6.29% compared with net sellers of 2.74% in the previous day.
A higher 23.79% of them bought equities against 17.96% on Wednesday whereas a lower 17.50% of them sold compared to 20.70%.
Foreign institutions were increasingly profit takers as their net selling rose to 20.78% from 19.92% in the previous day.
A much lower 17.68% of them were into buying compared to 27.24% on Wednesday and a lower 38.46% were into selling against 47.16%.
Qatari individual investors’ bullish grip weakened amidst their higher exposure as net buying sunk to 10.72% from 19.23% in the previous day.
A higher 43.43% of them purchased equities compared to 41.52% on Wednesday but a much higher 32.71% sold compared to 22.29%.
Non-Qatari retail investors were increasingly bullish on their higher exposure as net buying rose to 3.77% from 3.43% in the previous day.
A higher 15.10% of them were into buying compared to 13.28% on Wednesday and a higher 11.33% were into offloading against 9.85%.
Total trading volume shrank 40% to 2.31mn equities, value by 49% to QR86.09mn and deals by 24% to 2,091.
The insurance sector’s trading volume plummeted 78% to 0.02mn shares, value by 86% to QR0.84mn and transactions by 78% to 21.
The banks’ trading volume plunged 48% to 0.95mn equities, value by 49% to QR45.74mn and deals by 36% to 891.
The services sector’s trading volume tanked 36% to 1.07mn shares, value by 42% to QR26.28mn and transactions by 1% to 891.
The industrial sector witnessed a 16% decline in trading volume to 0.27mn shares, value by 53% to QR13.23mn and deals by 22% to 288.
Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Masraf Al Rayan (457,530 shares); Nakilat (372,474); Barwa (204,000); Qatar Islamic Bank (201,003) and United Development Company (141,640).