The Qatar Stock Exchange on Tuesday witnessed strong buying interests in consumer goods, transport and real estate counters, leading its key index gain 18 points.

There was weakening of net selling pressure from local and Gulf retail investors as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.17% higher at 10,722.49 points.

There was also weakened net profit booking within Gulf individuals in the market, whose sensitive index is up 4.11% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation expanded more than QR1bn or 0.17% to QR616.72bn mainly owing to microcap segments.

Islamic equities were seen gaining in proportion with the main index on the market, where domestic funds turned bearish.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where banking, industrials and realty sectors together accounted for more than 81% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index gained 0.17% to 18,891.84 points, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.17% to 2,510.59 points and All Share Index by 0.29% to 3,245.54 points.

The consumer goods sector index soared 2.37%, transport (1.77%), real estate (1.39%) and telecom (0.25%); whereas insurance declined 1.19%, banks and financial services (0.22%) and industrials (0.08%).

Major gainers included Woqod, Nakilat, Ezdan, Doha Bank, Islamic Holding Group, Medicare Group, Aamal Company and Gulf Warehousing; even as Qatar Oman Investment, al khaliji, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Insurance, QNB and QIIB were among the losers.

Local individuals’ net selling declined influentially to QR81.89mn compared to QR100.84mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari individuals’ net profit booking shrank noticeably to QR0.35mn against QR8.34mn on January 28.

The Gulf individual investors’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR1.17mn compared to QR1.82mn on Monday.

However, domestic funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.82mn against net buyers of QR11.01mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying declined marginally to QR83.91mn compared to QR88.98mn on January 28.

The Gulf institutions’ net buying eased significantly to QR4.33mn against QR11.01mn on Monday.

Total trade volume rose 2% to 10.53mn shares and value by 17% to QR354.86mn, while transactions were down 2% to 6,772.

The insurance sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 0.46mn equities and value almost tripled to QR14.76mn on 76% increase in deals to 346.

The industrials sector reported 15% increase in trade volume to 2.72mn stocks and 44% in value to QR82.81mn but on 1% fall in transactions to 2,139.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume expanded 13% to 0.52mn shares and value by 25% to QR44.44mn but on 22% decline in deals to 598.

There was 8% jump in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 0.27mn equities and 7% in value to QR5.26mn but on 19% fall in transactions to 192.

However, the transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 26% to 0.72mn stocks and value by 16% to QR18.45mn, whereas deals grew 35% to 370.

The real estate sector saw 8% decrease in trade volume to 2.57mn shares and less than 1% in value to QR50.14mn but on 17% fall in transactions to 1,323.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume was down 2% to 3.26mn equities, while value was up 8% to QR138.79mn and deals by 7% to 1,804.

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