The Qatar Stock Exchange was on Monday swayed by selling pressure in six of the seven sectors but overall it settled marginally lower.
Domestic funds turned bearish as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.07% lower at 10,489.04 points.
However, foreign funds were increasingly bullish in the market, which is up 23.06% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation was down QR3mn or 0.01% to QR596.8bn, mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic equities were seen declining faster than the other indices in the market, where local retail investors continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where industrials sector alone accounted for more than 74% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index lost 0.07% to 18,480.52 points, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.29% to 2,428.46 points and All Share Index by 0.04% to 3,112.99 points.
The consumer goods index declined 2.09%, telecom (0.52%), industrials (0.44%), real estate (0.41%), transport (0.23%) and insurance (0.11%); whereas banks and financial services gained 0.58%.
About 55% of the traded stocks were in the red with major losers being Salam International Investment, Qatar National Cement, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing, Vodafone Qatar, Ezdan, United Development Company, Milaha, Dlala and Mannai Corporation; even as QNB, Commercial Bank, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat were among the gainers.
Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR20.49mn compared with net buyers of QR58.56mn on Sunday.
Non-Qatari individuals’ net buying weakened influentially to QR5.5mn against QR27.53mn the previous day.
The Gulf individuals’ net buying declined marginally to QR1.2mn compared to QR1.9mn on December 16.
However, non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR93.47mn against QR7.49mn on Sunday.
Local individual investors’ net selling eased considerably to QR79.29mn compared to QR93.54mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking fell perceptibly to QR0.4mn against QR1.9mn the previous day.
Total trade volume fell 37% to 18.81mn shares, value by 25% to QR364.56mn and transactions by 38% to 15,254.
The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 67% to 0.4mn equities, value by 41% to QR7.73mn and deals by 8% to 301.
The industrials sector reported 43% plunge in trade volume to 13.94mn stocks, 47% in value to QR195.78mn and 46% in transactions to 11,897.
The insurance sector’s trade volume tanked 40% to 0.12mn shares, value by 38% to QR3.87mn and deals by 15% to 147.
There was 35% shrinkage in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.26mn equities and 15% in value to QR8.95mn but on 14% rise in transactions to 303. The transport sector’s trade volume declined 17% to 0.43mn stocks and value by 8% to QR9.26mn, whereas deals grew 49% to 287.
The banks and financial services sector saw 2% fall in trade volume to 2.12mn shares but on 72% growth in value to QR110.09mn and 44% in transactions to 1,474.
However, the real estate sector’s trade volume soared 71% to 1.54mn equities and value more than doubled to QR28.89mn on almost doubled deals to 845.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
