The Qatar Stock Exchange settled 15 points higher Monday, but a tad below the 10,300 levels on the last day of trading in 2018, as it saw stronger buying interests especially within insurance, real estate and banking counters.
The 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.15% to 10,299.01 points mainly lifted by increased buying support from foreign and Gulf funds.
Non-Qatari individuals turned bullish and there was weakened net selling by local retail investors in the market, which is up 20.83% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation grew more than QR2bn, or 0.36%, to QR588.72bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic equities were however seen declining vis-à-vis gains in the other indices in the market, where domestic institutions turned net sellers.
Trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes in the bourse, where industrials, banking and real estate sectors together accounted for about 76% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index rose 0.15% to 18,145.72 points and the All Share Index by 0.45% to 3,079.09 points, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.01% to 2,394.37 points.
The insurance index gained 2.33%, followed by realty (1.32%), banks and financial services (0.57%) and consumer goods (0.06%); whereas transport declined 1.18%, telecom (0.62%) and industrials (0.11%).
Major gainers included Qatar General and Reinsurance, Ezdan, Doha Bank, Al Khaliji, QNB, Commercial Bank and Qatar Islamic Bank; while Gulf International Services, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, Alijarah Holding and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices were among the losers.
Non-Qatari funds’ net buying increased influentially to QR19.15mn compared to QR12.09mn on Sunday.
Gulf institutions’ net buying expanded considerably to QR8.03mn against QR1.89mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR2.79mn compared with net sellers of QR0.65mn on December 30.
Local individuals’ net profit-booking weakened significantly to QR1.27mn against QR16.51mn on Sunday.
However, domestic funds turned net sellers to the extent of QR28.13mn compared with net buyers of QR2.74mn the previous day.
Gulf individuals were also net sellers to the tune of QR0.58mn against net buyers of QR0.46mn on December 30.
Total trade volume fell 4% to 7.09mn shares, while value grew 35% to QR175.73mn despite 1% lower transactions at 4,951.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 41% to 0.2mn equities, value by 47% to QR9.01mn and deals by 36% to 214.
The market witnessed a 29% fall in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 1.01mn stocks, 8% in value to QR19.9mn and 35% in transactions to 307.
The industrials sector’s trade volume tanked 26% to 3.29mn shares, while value increased 10% to QR68.87mn despite 18% lower deals at 2,748.
However, the telecom sector’s trade volume grew almost seven-fold to 0.95mn equities and value also by almost seven-fold to QR13.64mn on more-than-doubled transactions to 252.
The transport sector’s trade volume almost quadrupled to 0.42mn stocks and value more than quadrupled to QR9.74mn on more-than-tripled deals to 448.
The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.15mn shares and value more than doubled to QR5.67mn on a 51% expansion in transactions to 107.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 20% surge in trade volume to 1.07mn equities to more than double value to QR48.88mn on a 55% growth in deals to 875.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
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