The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) institutions exerted stronger buying pressure to lift the Qatar Stock Exchange by 81 points.
An across the board buying – particularly in consumer goods, real estate and industrials – drove up the 20-stock Qatar Index 0.82% to 9,927.94 points.
A marginal buying support from Gulf individual investors also helped maintain rally in the bourse, which is however down 4.81% year-to-date.
Nevertheless, domestic and non-Qatari institutions turned net sellers in the market, where trading turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks gained faster than the other indices in the market, where industrials, consumer goods, realty and banking goods stocks together accounted for about 92% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation expanded 0.77% or more than QR4bn to QR527.38bn with micro, small, mid and large cap equities gaining 1.19%, 1.14%, 0.65% and 0.57% respectively.
The Total Return Index gained 0.82% to 15,726.28 points, All Share Index by 0.83% to 2,695.63 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.22% to 3,657.86 points.
Consumer goods stocks witnessed the maximum gains of 2.26%, real estate (1.43%), industrials (0.99%), transport (0.49%), banks and financial services and telecom (0.46% each) and insurance (0.32%).
About 74% of the stocks extended gains with major movers being Gulf International Services, Aamal Company, Mannai Corporation, Mesaieed Petrochemicals Holding, Islamic Holding Group, Widam Food, Al Meera, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, Doha Bank, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank and Dlala; even as Alijarah Holding and Salam International Investment bucked the trend.
The GCC institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR54.28mn against net sellers of QR10.46mn on February 25.
The GCC individual investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR1.6mn compared with net sellers of QR0.23mn last Thursday.
However, non-Qatari institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR11.89mn against net buyers of QR2.83mn the pervious trading day.
Domestic institutions’ net profit taking increased to QR51.69mn compared to QR18.59mn on February 25.
Local retail investors’ net buying weakened substantially to QR5.59mn against QR21.28mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net buying shrank to QR2.16mn compared to QR5.13mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volume rose 12% to 12.14mn shares, value by 21% to QR399.13mn and deals by less than 1% to 5,314.
The transport sector’s trade volume doubled to 0.34mn equities, value gained 25% to QR10.93mn and transactions by 9% to 171.
The industrials sector saw 32% surge in trade volume to 3.31mn stocks, 22% in value to QR128.64mn and less than 1% in deals to 1,632.
The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 30% to 2.74mn shares, value by 76% to QR70.91mn and transactions by 32% to 905.
There was 1% jump in the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume to 2mn equities, 9% in value to QR111.77mn and 4% in deals to 1,353.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume was up less than 1% to 3.09mn stocks, value by 41% to QR64.91mn and transactions by less than 1% to 799.
However, the telecom sector reported 31% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.61mn shares, 59% in value to QR9.82mn and 41% in deals to 395.
The insurance sector’s trade volume tanked 29% to 0.05mn equities, value by 22% to QR2.14mn and transactions by 16% to 59.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
