The banks as well as insurance counters witnessed profit-booking pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.07% lower at 9,498.74 points. The market’s year-to-date losses were seen at 4.61%.
Islamic stocks notably outperformed the other indices in the market, where net buying support from foreign institutions and local retail investors weakened and there was increased net selling by their Gulf institutions.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where telecom, realty and banking stocks together constituted more than 78% of the total volumes.
Gulf individuals turned bearish in the market; where domestic institutions and non-Qatari individuals were net buyers.
Market capitalisation was down QR42mn, or 0.08%, to QR535.9bn mainly on a 0.28% dip in large cap equities; even as small, mid and microcaps gained 2%, 1.25% and 0.94% respectively.
The Total Return Index shed 0.07% to 16,096.39 points, while the All Share Index was up 0.08% to 2,747.9 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.39% to 3,665.76 points.
Banks and financial services sector saw its index shrank 0.56% and insurance 0.48%; whereas consumer goods soared 2.55%, industrials (0.72%), transport (0.23%), real estate (0.19%) and telecom (0.12%).
Major losers included QNB, Masraf Al Rayan, Industries Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan, Milaha and Alijarah Holding; while among the gainers were Medicare Group, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Woqod, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, QIIB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank and Islamic Holding Group.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying weakened considerably to QR9.85mn compared to QR97.62mn the previous trading day.
GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net selling rose to QR20.69mn against QR8.42mn on November 3.
GCC individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR10.43mn compared with net buyers of QR1.28mn last Thursday.
Local retail investors’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR0.19mn against QR15.13mn the previous trading day.
However, domestic institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR14.59mn compared with net sellers of QR104.48mn on November 3.
Non-Qatari individual investors were also net buyers to the tune of QR6.49mn against net profit-takers of QR1.16mn last Thursday.
Total trade volume fell 14% to 7.28mn shares, value by 29% to QR216.44mn and deals by 14% to 3,133.
There was a 94% plunge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.02mn equities, 94% in value to QR1.06mn and 59% in transactions to 34.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 80% to 0.36mn stocks, value by 81% to QR20.82mn and deals by 28% to 354.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 13% shrinkage in trade volume to 1.41mn shares and 17% in value to QR56.83mn but on a 2% rise in transactions to 919.
However, the real estate sector’s trade volume soared 24% to 1.95mn equities and value by 37% to QR42.05mn; while deals declined 30% to 655.
The market witnessed a 16% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 0.94mn stocks and 45% in value to QR56.07mn but on a 2% fall in transactions to 671.
The transport sector’s trade volume shot up 13% to 0.26mn shares, value by 55% to QR9.14mn and deals by 77% to 220.
The telecom sector reported a 12% expansion in trade volume to 2.35mn equities but on a 5% dip in value to QR30.47mn and 33% in transactions to 280.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
