Industrials, transport, banks buy interest lifts Qatar shares

By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter

Buying interests in the industrials, transport and banking stocks yesterday propelled the Qatar Exchange.

Local retail investors’ bullish appetite led the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) to move up 0.60% to 9,764.55 points amidst shrinkage in trading volumes.

Major gainers included Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Milaha, QNB, Doha Bank and Commercial Bank; even as Alijarah Holding, Barwa and Vodafone Qatar bucked the trend.

The market is up 16.82% year-to-date.

The 20-stock Total Return Index was also up 0.60% to 13,951.30 points, the All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) by 0.51% to 2,456.24 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.15% to 2,807.67 points. All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.

Under the All Share Index category, the industrials index gained 0.91%, followed by transport (0.87%), banks and financial services (0.75%) and insurance (0.01%); while real estate shrank 1.18%, followed by consumer goods (0.42%) and telecom (0.12%).

Market capitalisation stood at QR534.82bn.

Of the 42 stocks, 24 advanced; while only 10 declined and four were unchanged. Four others were not traded.

On the retail side, Qatari individuals were net buyers to the tune of 3.74% or QR10.13mn and non-Qatari investors were also net buyers to the extent of 1.54% or QR4.17mn.

Foreign institutions continued to be net buyers to the tune of 1.58% or QR4.29mn; while their domestic counterparts were net sellers to the extent of 6.86% or QR18.57mn.

A total of 5.58mn stocks valued QR270.77mn changed hands across 3,105 transactions.

The realty sector saw a total of 1.26mn shares with a value of QR28.01mn trade across 408 deals; while the banks and financial services sector witnessed 1.70mn equities worth QR72.38mn change hands across 944 transactions.

A total of 0.80mn industrials stocks valued at QR65.26mn traded in 693 deals and a total of 0.09mn insurance equities worth QR5.54mn change hands across 77 transactions.

Consumer goods sector witnessed 0.47mn shares worth QR30.66mn change hands across 372 deals.

Telecom and transport sectors reported stock trading volume of 0.25mn and 1mn valued at QR8.37mn and QR60.53mn across 143 and 468 transactions respectively.

In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and bonds.