Foreign institutions were found increasingly net buyers on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which otherwise fell for the third straight session to settle at little over 8,200 points.

An across-the-board selling – especially in the realty – led the 20-stock Qatar Index to decline 0.85% to 8,229.27 points.

Islamic equities saw faster declines in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were at 21.15%.

The Gulf institutions’ net profit-booking weakened amidst overall weak sentiments in the market, whose capitalisation shrank 0.87% to QR449.45bn.

The market was on a free fall in the first 120 minutes taking the index to a low of less than 8,200 points, after which it witnessed gains. However, the buying support was feeble to lift the market, which finally settled 70 points lower.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where banking and real estate sectors together accounted for about 72% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index was down 0.85% to 13,799.99 points, the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 1.28% to 3,375.7 points and the All Share Index by 1.03% to 2,312.61 points.

The realty index tanked 3.08%, insurance (1.04%), industrials (0.94%), banks and financial services (0.62%), consumer goods (0.59%), telecom (0.53%) and transport (0.33%).

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR22.2mn compared to QR7mn the previous day.

GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) funds’ net selling weakened to QR4.04mn against QR6.45mn on October 16.

GCC retail investors’ net profit-booking fell marginally to QR0.48mn compared to QR0.51mn on Monday.

However, local retail investors’ net selling increased perceptibly to QR10.07mn against QR4.06mn the previous day.

Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.95mn compared with net buyers of QR0.54mn on October 16.

Non-Qatari individual investors were also net sellers to the extent of QR1.62mn against net buyers of QR3.48mn on Monday.

Total trade volume rose 42% to 8.87mn shares, value by 39% to QR208.09mn and deals by 3% to 2,864.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 4.33mn equities and value soared 41% to QR98.93mn but on 12% fall in transactions to 942.

There was a 59% surge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 2.03mn stocks and 84% in value to QR32.35mn but on a 2% fall in deals to 359.

The insurance sector’s trade volume expanded 25% to 0.1mn shares and value by 33% to QR4.4mn, while transactions were down 9% to 94.

The telecom sector reported a 6% increase in trade volume to 0.66mn equities and 16% in value to QR10.64mn but on a 1% fall in deals to 254.

However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 59% to 0.21mn stocks, value by 26% to QR10.84mn and transactions 16% to 204.

The industrials sector saw a 12% plunge in trade volume to 1.18mn shares but on 61% jump in value to QR42.67mn and 29% in deals to 683.

The transport sector’s trade volume shrank 8% to 0.36mn equities, whereas value rose 6% to QR8.26mn and transactions by 4% to 328.

In the debt market, there was no trading of government bonds but as many as 2,915 treasury bills valued at QR29.02mn traded across two deals. 

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