Qatar Stock Exchange opened the week weak but overall it continued to remain above 8,600 levels.
Although gainers outnumbered decliners, the 20-stock Qatar Index was down 0.25% to 8,600.2 points. QNB was seen trading on the special market.
Local and Gulf retail investors were seen bullish in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses were at 17.6%.
Islamic equities were however seen gaining vis-à-vis an overall bearish market, whose capitalisation shrank 0.24% to QR474.61bn.
Trade turnover expanded amidst lower volumes in the bourse, where telecom, banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 86% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index shed 0.25% to 14,422.03 points and All Share Index by 0.18% to 2,463.99 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index gained 0.23% to 3,408.95 points.
The banks and financial services index declined 0.79%, while insurance gained 0.48%, industrials (0.3%), telecom (0.31%), realty (0.22%), transport (0.22%) and consumer goods (0.12%).
Major gainers included Gulf Warehousing, Industries Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa, Qatar First Bank, United Development Bank and Salam International Investment; whereas QNB, Commercial Bank, Nakilat, Milaha and Qatari Investors Group were among the losers.
Local individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.97mn against net sellers of QR12.81mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari retail investors were also net buyers to the extent of QR4.71mn compared with net sellers of QR3.05mn last Thursday.
The Gulf individual investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR0.31mn against QR0.08mn on December 21.
Domestic funds’ net selling declined considerably to QR1.18mn compared to QR3.09mn the previous trading day.
However, the Gulf institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR7.48mn against net buyers of QR7.06mn last Thursday.
Non-Qatari institutions were also net sellers to the extent of QR1.28mn compared with net buyers of QR11.82mn on December 21.
Total trade volume fell 9% to 15.68mn shares, while value rose 29% to QR512.17mn despite 37% lower deals to 2,698.
The insurance sector reported 97% plunge in trade volume to 0.05mn equities and 99% in value to QR0.95mn but on 4% jump in transactions to 58.
The transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 33% to 0.37mn stocks, while value was up 5% to QR11.2mn despite 56% shrinkage in deals to 146.
There was 25% shrinkage in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 2.93mn shares, 45% in value to QR28.07mn and 34% in transactions to 699.
The real estate sector’s trade volume tanked 15% to 1.45mn equities, value by 3% to QR22.23mn and deals by 16% to 463.
However, the banks and financial services sector saw 19% surge in trade volume to 5.01mn stocks to more than double value to QR392.65mn but on 42% slippage in transactions to 800.
The telecom sector’s trade volume soared 18% to 5.53mn shares, whereas value declined 20% to QR45.93mn and deals by 60% to 274.
The market witnessed 6% expansion in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.34mn equities but on 12% fall in value to QR11.12mn despite 11% higher transactions to 258.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
