The Qatar Stock Exchange witnessed buying interests from foreign and domestic funds, even as it overall settled in the negative for the third straight session to close a tad above 8,500 levels.
Six of the seven sectors – notably telecom and real estate – were under selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.8% to 8,501.03 points.
Local and non-Qatari individuals were seen bearish in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses stood at 18.55%.
Islamic equities were declining faster than the main index in the market, whose capitalisation shrank 0.48% to QR471.14bn.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where the banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 71% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index shed 0.8% to 14,255.72 points, the Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.96% to 3,374.57 points and the All Share Index by 0.64% to 2,448.44 points.
The telecom index plunged 1.45%, followed by realty (1.05%), transport (0.86%), industrials (0.65%), banks and financial services (0.56%) and consumer goods (0.37%); while insurance gained 0.5%.
Major gainers included Qatar First Bank, Aamal Company, Qatar National Cement, Widam Food and Ahli Bank; whereas Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Nakilat, Milaha, Gulf Warehousing, Masraf Al Rayan, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Ezdan and Barwa were among the losers.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR10.46mn compared to QR0.77mn on December 25.
Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.12mn against net profit-takers of QR14.21mn on Monday.
Gulf funds’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR2.77mn compared to QR4.72mn the previous day.
However, local individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR7.32mn against net buyers of QR16.85mn on December 25.
Non-Qatari retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.81mn compared with net buyers of QR0.56mn on Monday.
Gulf individual investors were net profit-takers to the extent of QR0.68mn against net buyers of QR0.77mn the previous day.
Total trade volume fell 3% to 13.9mn shares, value by 4% to QR184.41mn and deals by less than 1% to 3,062.
The consumer goods sector reported a 55% plunge in trade volume to 0.18mn equities, 67% in value to QR6.49mn and 29% in transactions to 146.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 16% to 5.74mn stocks and value by 2% to QR78.68mn, while deals grew 15% to 1,346.
The market witnessed a 1% dip in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 1.49mn shares but on an 8% jump in value to QR23.04mn and 1% in transactions to 430.
However, the insurance sector’s trade volume soared 96% to 0.55mn equities and value by 21% to QR16.91mn, whereas deals shrank 11% to 42.
There was a 31% surge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 1.57mn stocks, 33% in value to QR16.73mn and 46% in transactions to 204.
The industrials sector’s trade volume was up 6% to 4.06mn shares and value by 5% to QR32.43mn, while deals slumped 22% to 722.
Although the transport sector’s trade volume was float at 0.32mn equities, value fell 24% to QR10.13mn but on 10% increase in transactions to 172.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
