The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week weak as six of the seven sectors were under profit-booking pressure.
Lower buying interests of foreign and domestic funds were visible as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.26% lower at 10,760.23 points.
Non-Qatari retail investors’ weakened net buying also dampened the market, whose sensitive index is, however, up 4.48% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation was up QR15mn, or 0.02%, to QR617.05bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic equities were seen declining slower the other indices in the market, where local retail investors continued to be profit takers but with less vigour.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where the banking, industrials and real estate sectors together accounted for more than 81% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index shed 0.26% to 18,958.34 points, the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.09% to 2,527.52 points and the All Share Index by 0.02% to 3,239.22 points.
The telecom index declined 0.51%, insurance (0.43%), consumer goods (0.36%), industrials (0.29%), transport (0.26%) and banks and financial services (0.08%); while real estate shot up 1.02%.
Major losers included Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Zad Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank and Doha Bank; whereas Ahlibank Qatar, Al Khaliji, Alijarah Holding and Qatar Oman Investment were among the gainers.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying weakened significantly to QR38.91mn compared to QR60.76mn last Thursday.
Domestic institutions’ net buying declined considerably to QR3.95mn against QR9.9mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari individuals’ net buyers eased noticeably to QR2.47mn compared to QR3.8mn on January 17.
Gulf individual investors’ net profit-booking rose influentially to QR1.05mn against QR0.52mn last Thursday.
However, local individuals’ net selling shrank significantly to QR39.43mn compared to QR64.2mn the previous day.
Gulf funds’ net profit-booking decreased perceptibly to QR4.83mn against QR9.79mn on January 17.
Total trade volume fell 25% to 7.8mn shares, value by 39% to QR168.97mn and transactions by 36% to 4,512.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 66% to 0.23mn equities, value by 66% to QR9.18mn and deals by 59% to 235.
The transport sector reported a 43% plunge in trade volume to 0.6mn stocks, 41% in value to QR17.14mn and 55% in transactions to 296.
The insurance sector’s trade volume tanked 43% to 0.24mn shares, value by 22% to QR9.55mn and deals by 18% to 160.
The market witnessed a 36% shrinkage in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 2.43mn equities, 20% in value to QR53.46mn and 22% in transactions to 2,055.
The real estate sector’s trade volume declined 28% to 1.04mn stocks, value by 20% to QR21.38mn and deals 38% to 532.
However, there was a 32% surge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 0.41mn shares but on a 41% contraction in value to QR5.13mn and 59% in transactions to 194.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume expanded 6% to 2.85mn equities, while value shrank 49% to QR53.14mn and deals by 39% to 1,040.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.

Related Story