The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday inched near 10,200 levels mainly on the back of strong buying interests in consumer goods, banking and insurance equities.

Domestic funds turned bullish and there was weakened net selling by local retail investors as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.35% to 10,193.01 points, which is up 19.59% year-to-date.

Small and midcap segments witnessed stronger buying interests, resulting in market capitalisation expand more than QR2bn or 0.43% to QR569.13bn.

However, the Gulf institutions’ bullish grip was seen easing in the market, where Islamic stocks were seen gaining slower than the other indices.

Doha Bank sponsored exchange traded fund QETF saw marginal 0.04% gains, while Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR reported 0.21% declines.

Trade turnover and volume were on the decline on the bourse, where banking and real estate sectors together accounted for about 65% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index expanded 0.35% to 17,958.95 points, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.07% to 2,406.93 points and All Share Index by 0.32% to 2,992.56 points.

The consumer goods gained 0.69%, banks and financial services (0.63%), insurance (0.41%) and industrials (0.1%); whereas transport fell 0.37%, realty (0.19%) and telecom (0.02%).

More than 58% of the traded stocks extended gains with major movers being Doha Bank, Commercial Bank, Ahlibank, QNB, Al Khaliji, Salam International Investment, Industries Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, Milaha and Qatari Investors Group; while Qatar First Bank, Widam Food, Qatar Industrial manufacturing, Qatar Electricity and Water, Gulf International Services, Nakilat, United Development Company and Ezdan were among the losers.

Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.21mn compared with net sellers of QR12.82mn on October 17.

The Gulf institutional investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR3.18mn against QR2.46mn the previous day.

Local individual investors’ net selling weakened substantially to QR42.66mn compared to QR77.73mn on Wednesday.

Non-Qatari retail investors’ net selling also declined perceptibly to QR2.67mn against QR3.91mn on October 17.

The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.27mn compared to QR1.85mn the previous day.

However, non-Qatari institutions’ net buying shrank significantly to QR36.21mn against QR93.84mn on Wednesday.

Total trade volume fell 42% to 4.59mn shares, value by 41% to QR180.6mn and transactions by 22% to 4,154.

The industrials sector’s trade volume plummeted 69% to 0.5mn equities, value by 60% 1% to QR28.23mn and deals by 50% to 531.

The real estate sector reported 59% plunge in trade volume to 0.99mn stocks, 63% in value to QR14.53mn and 51% in transactions to 545.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 50% to 0.22mn shares, value by 54% to QR21.65mn and deals by 34% to 427.

There was 26% shrinkage in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 0.4mn equities, 31% in value to QR7.84mn and 10% in transactions to 294.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume shrank 17% to 1.97mn stocks and value by 23% to QR93.7mn, while deals were up 11% to 1,808.

However, the market witnessed 5% expansion in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.23mn shares and 3% in value to QR8.09mn; whereas transactions contracted 17% to 225.

The transport sector’s trade volume rose 4% to 0.27mn equities but value sunk 35% to QR6.56mn despite 38% higher deals at 324.

In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.

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