Notwithstanding the buying support from local retail investors and weakened net selling by their non-Qatari counterparts, the 20-stock was marginally down to 10,009.95 points on declining trading turnover and volumes.
Small and midcap equities witnessed gains in the market, which is down 4.02% year-to-date.
However, domestic institutions and Gulf individual investors turned bearish and there was increased net selling by Gulf institutions in the bourse, where banking, telecom and industrials stocks together constituted more than 84% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation was up 0.04% or QR20mn to QR537.76bn with small and midcap equities gaining 0.37% and 0.14%; but micro and large caps fell 0.32% and 0.21% respectively.
The Total Return Index was down 0.01% to 16,195.44 points, while All Share Index rose 0.12% to 2,796.42 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.03% to 3,919.7 points.
Industrials and consumer goods stocks shrank 0.47% and 0.08% respectively; whereas insurance gained 1.33%, transport (0.32%), banks and financial services (0.28%), realty (0.09%) and telecom (0.07%).
Major losers included Industries Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo, Milaha and Qatar Islamic Bank; even as Qatar First Bank, Dlala, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Qatar Insurance bucked the trend.
Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.32mn compared with net buyers of QR16.66mn on Tuesday.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net selling increased to QR13.94mn against QR7.73mn the previous day.
The GCC individual investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR2.61mn compared with net buyers of QR9.03mn on May 17.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying weakened to QR10.25mn against QR12.79mn on Tuesday.
However, local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR12.67mn compared with net sellers of QR23.67mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net profit booking declined to QR2.02mn against QR7.08mn on May 17.
Total trade volume fell 18% to 8.12mn shares, value by 28% to QR235.04mn and deals by 33% to 3,718.
The consumer goods sector saw 62% plunge in trade volume to 0.35mn equities, 52% in value to QR21.97mn and 56% in transactions to 292.
The industrials sector’s trade volume plummeted 54% to 1.67mn stocks, value by 55% to QR64.58mn and deals by 45% to 1,003.
There was 15% decline in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.29mn shares, 46% in value to QR8.8mn and 37% in transactions to 113.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume was down 3% to 2.8mn equities but value rose 14% to QR85.69mn. Deals fell 8% to 1,156.
However, the real estate sector reported 73% surge in trade volume to 0.57mn stocks and 49% in value to QR11.99mn but on 33% shrinkage in transactions to 293.
The telecom sector’s trade volume soared 34% to 2.38mn shares and value by 20% to QR37.62mn, while deals shank 26% to 816.
The market witnessed 20% increase in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.06mn equities and 23% in value to QR4.39mn but on 42% decline transactions to 45.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
