Stronger net buying support from domestic institutions notwithstanding, the 20-stock Qatar Index was up a mere 0.04% or four points to 10,704.29 points as global oil prices rose to trade above $54 a barrel.
Investors preferred transport and real estate stocks more than other constituents on the bourse, whose year-to-date gains were at 2.56%.
Lower net selling pressure from local and non-Qatari retail investors was also visible in the market, where small cap equities made some gains.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline on the bourse, where banking, telecom and realty sectors together accounted for more than 82% of the total volumes.
Islamic stocks were seen declining vis-à-vis marginal gains in conventional scrips in the market, where foreign institutions’ net buying weakened substantially.
Market capitalisation gained QR44mn or 0.08% to QR576.13bn with small and large cap equities adding 0.19% and 0.03%, while micro and midcaps fell 0.41% and 0.2% respectively.
The Total Return Index was up 0.04% to 17,318.83 points and All Share Index by 0.05% to 2,936.85 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index fell 0.16% to 3,974.68 points.
The transport sector saw its index expand 0.31%, realty (0.16%), consumer goods (0.08%) and banks and financial services (0.04%), whereas telecom fell 0.16%, insurance (0.1%) and industrials (0.01%).
Major gainers included Gulf Warehousing, Nakilat, QNB, Alijarah Holding, Aamal Company, Ezdan and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices; even as Masraf Al Rayan, Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank and Medicare Group saw their stocks lose sheen.
Domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR24.38mn compared to QR5.12mn the previous day.
Local retail investors’ net selling weakened considerably to QR32.63mn against QR47.65mn on January 10.
Non-Qatari individual investors’ net profit booking also declined to QR3.94mn compared to QR5.12mn on Tuesday.
However, non-Qatari institutions’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR11.1mn against QR42.56mn the previous day.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) institutions’ net buying shrank to QR1.13mn compared to QR6.55mn on January 10.
Total trade volume fell 4% to 6.56mn shares, value by 17% to QR206.27mn and deals by 25% to 2,681.
There was 65% plunge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.07mn equities, 70% in value to QR4.2mn and 18% in transactions to 97.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 58% to 0.19mn stocks, value by 47% to QR17.82mn and deals by 48% to 243.
The industrials sector reported 41% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.74mn shares, 16% in value to QR59.34mn and 47% in transactions to 547.
The transport sector’s trade volume tanked 17% to 0.15mn equities, value by 40% to QR4.24mn and deals by 17% to 102.
The market witnessed 12% decline in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 1.64mn stocks, 8% in value to QR35.95m and 27% in transactions to 427.
However, the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume soared 39% to 2.02mn shares, value by 2% to QR63.55mn and deals by 5% to 1,017.
The telecom sector witnessed 24% surge in trade volume to 1.73mn equities and 6% in value to QR21.18mn but on 8% fall in transactions to 248.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
