Although five of the seven sectors were under selling pressure – notably in consumer goods, banking, realty and telecom – the 20-stock Qatar Index fell eight points or 0.08% to 10,428.72 points.
Buying interests in the industrials and transport counters largely contained the decline in the bourse, where large, mid and small cap segments witnessed higher selling pressure.
Foreign institutions’ net buying weakened substantially and there was marginally higher net profit booking by Gulf individual investors.
Trade turnover and volumes declined in the market, where telecom, real estate and banking sectors together accounted for more than 73% of the total trade volumes.
Market capitalisation was down QR41mn or 0.07% to QR563.06bn with large, mid, small and microcap equities falling 0.22%, 0.18%, 0.16% and 0.03% respectively.
The Total Return Index fell 0.08% to 16,872.97 points and All Share Index by 0.09% to 2,866.59 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index rose 0.43% to 3,899.53 points.
Consumer goods sector saw its index shrink 0.54%, banks and financial services (0.35%), realty (0.27%), telecom (0.24%) and insurance (0.16%), while industrials and transport gained 0.6% and 0.29% respectively.
As much as 50% of the traded stocks were in the red with major losers being Masraf Al Rayan, Commercial Bank, QNB, Doha Bank, Qatar First Bank, al khaliji, Widam Food, Qatar Insurance, United Development Company, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo and Nakilat.
Nevertheless, Gulf Warehousing, Industries Qatar, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Dlala and Vodafone Qatar saw their equities make gains.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR10.31mn compared to QR66.11mn the previous trading day.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) individual investors’ net profit booking rose to QR0.48mn against QR0.03mn last Thursday.
However, the GCC institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR7.51mn compared with net sellers of QR0.62mn on December 29.
Domestic institutions were also net buyers to the extent of QR4.52mn against net sellers of QR24.79mn the previous trading.
Local retail investors’ net profit taking declined to QR21.35mn compared to QR28.45mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net selling also weakened to QR0.54mn against QR12.23mn on December 29.
Total trade volume fell 67% to 4.37mn shares, value by 54% to QR136.13mn and deals by 49% to 1,924.
The banks and financial services sector saw 82% plunge in trade volume to 1.01mn equities, 56% in value to QR41.12mn and 53% in transactions to 592.
The real estate sector’s trade volume plummeted 78% to 1.03mn stocks, value by 73% to QR23.83m and deals by 62% to 333.
The insurance sector reported 71% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.04mn shares, 85% in value to QR1.47mn and 68% in transactions to 47.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 61% to 0.15mn equities, value by 70% to QR7.89mn and deals by 36% to 234.
There was 57% decline in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 0.39mn stocks, 35% in value to QR27.42mn and 33% in transactions to 461.
The telecom sector’s trade volume shrank 13% to 1.16mn shares, value by 35% to QR11.58mn and deals by 48% to 137.
However, the market witnessed 90% surge in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.59mn equities and 61% in value to QR22.82mn but on 36% fall in transactions to 120.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
