By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter


Selling pressure yesterday dragged the QE index down
Foreign institutions hurriedly squared off their positions to drag the Qatar Exchange down, the index yesterday settling below the 8,200 mark.
Local retail investors were also seen exerting selling pressure as the 20-stock benchmark lost 0.15% or 13 points to 8,190.74 points after two consecutive days of gains. The market is down 5.66% year-to-date.
Doha Bank, QNB and Barwa were among the primer losers.
The indices of banks, insurance and industry fell 0.29%, 0.13% and 0.04% respectively; even as services gained 0.06%.
Market capitalisation was down 0.20% or QR87mn to QR435.06bn with large and mid cap equities gaining 0.18% and 0.13% whereas micro and small caps gained 0.97% and 0.20% respectively.
Of the 42 stocks, 18 advanced, while 20 declined, one unchanged and three were not traded.
Foreign institutions turned profit takers that they were net sellers to the tune of 16.44% against net buyers of 3.71% in the previous day.
A much lower 9.77% of them were into buying compared to 26.18% on Wednesday while a higher 26.21% were into selling against 22.47%.
Domestic institutions, on the other hand, turned bullish that they were net buyers to the extent of 19.71% compared with net sellers of 5.94% in the previous day.
A higher 34.12% of them bought equities against 32.05% on Wednesday whereas a much lower 14.41% of them sold compared to 37.99%.Qatari individual investors turned bearish that they were net sellers to the tune of 1.97% against net buyers of 3.52% in the previous day.
A higher 40.10% of them purchased equities compared to 31.39% on Wednesday but a much higher 42.07% sold against 27.87%.
Non-Qatari retail investors’ bearish grip marginally strengthened as their net selling rose to 1.31% from 1.28% in the previous day.
A higher 16% of them were into buying compared to 10.38% on Wednesday and a higher 17.31% were into offloading against 11.66%.
Total trading volume rose 9% to 4.84mn equities but value fell 11% to QR194.87mn.  Deals were up 7% to 3,729.
The services sector’s trading volume shot up 34% to 3.21mn shares, value by 34% to QR88.92mn and transactions by 29% to 2,058.
However, the insurance sector’s trading volume plummeted 78% to 0.02mn shares, value by 82% to QR1.28mn and deals by 64% to 40.
The industrial sector’s trading volume plunged 38% to 0.48mn shares, value by 51% to QR36.03mn and transactions by 7% to 529.
The banks’ trading volume was down 6% to 1.14mn equities, value by 3% to QR68.63mn and deals by 8% to 1,102.
Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Mawashi (896,897 shares); Salam International Investments (522,409); Barwa (449,011); Masraf Al Rayan (359,875) and Vodafone Qatar (253,257).
Reuters adds: The Egyptian index, which touched a two-year low of 4,418 points last week, closed at 4,747 points.
Dubai’s index gave back earlier gains to end in the green while Abu Dhabi’s index slipped to a nine-day low.
The Dubai benchmark index climbed 0.08% to close at 1,468 points, while Abu Dhabi shed 0.06% and ends at 2,584 points, its lowest close since August 9.
The Omani benchmark ended 0.7% higher at 5,527 points, trimming its 2011 losses to 4.8% and Kuwait’s was 0.1% lower at 5,827 points, eight points away from Sunday’s seven-year low.