Strong buying support from foreign and Gulf institutions helped the 20-stock Qatar Index rise 0.3% to 10,336.05 points.
The marginally bullish outlook of non-Qatari and Gulf individual investors also played its part in lifting sentiments in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were at 0.89%.
Islamic stocks were seen gaining relatively faster than the conventional ones in the market, where buying was particularly within micro, large and midcap equities.
Trade turnover and volumes expanded in the market, where realty, banking and telecom sectors together accounted for about 89% of the total trade volumes.
Market capitalisation rose more than QR1bn or 0.23% to QR558.15bn with microcap equities gaining 0.77% and large and midcaps (0.3% each).
The Total Return Index gained 0.3% to 16,723.05 points, All Share Index by 0.25% to 2,842.99 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.35% to 3,856.68 points.
Telecom sector saw its index expand 1.4%, transport (0.97%), insurance (0.55%), industrials (0.51%) and consumer goods (0.06%), while real estate fell 0.09% and banks and financial services (0.04%).
About 59% of the traded stocks extended gains with major movers being Ooredoo, Milaha, Qatar Insurance, Mazaya Qatar, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Electricity and Water, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar First Bank and Widam Food; even as QNB, Commercial Bank, Ezdan and United Development Company were among the losers.
Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR18.38mn compared with net sellers of QR0.18mn on December 27.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net buying strengthened to QR13.06mn against QR1.11mn on Tuesday.
Non-Qatari individual investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR2.5mn compared with net sellers of QR3.23mn the previous day.
The GCC individual investors were also net buyers to the tune of QR1.89mn against net profit takers of QR0.98mn on December 27.
However, local retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR32.81mn compared with net buyers of QR5.12mn on Tuesday.
Domestic institutions’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR4.02mn against QR1.86mn the previous day.
Total trade volume rose 53% to 9.92mn shares, value by 59% to QR242.31mn and deals by 49% to 3,156.
The transport sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.49mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR26.3mn on 56% rise in transactions to 288.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.23mn stocks and value almost tripled to QR12.81mn on 74% increase in deals to 282.
The industrials sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.49mn shares, value soared 63% to QR21.45mn and transactions by 50% to 428.
The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.11mn equities and value more than doubled to QR5.27mn on more than doubled deals to 92.
The real estate sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 4.66mn stocks, value grew 53% to QR72.11m and transactions by 81% to 752.
The banks and financial services sector saw 20% expansion in trade volume to 2.56mn shares, 69% in value to QR86.91mn and 26% in deals to 953.
However, the telecom sector’s trade volume declined 9% to 1.37mn equities and value by 18% to QR17.47mn, whereas transactions shot up 33% to 361.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
