The increased buying interests from domestic funds on Tuesday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange 29 points to place its key index near 10,300 levels.
Real estate, banking and transport counters witnessed higher than average demand, leading to a 0.29% jump in the 20-stock Qatar Index to 10,255.97 points.
Non-Qatari individuals were seen bullish in the market, whose sensitive index registered 0.42% declines year-to-date.
Market capitalisation expanded 1.02% or about QR6bn to QR585.15bn mainly owing to mid and small cap segments.
Islamic equities were seen declining vis-à-vis gains in the main index in the market, where local retail investors and Gulf fund continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where realty, industrials and banking sectors together accounted for more than three-fourth of the total volume.
The Total Return Index grew 0.78% to 18,313.74 points and All Share Index by 1.33% to 3,121.35 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) declined 0.49% to 2,425.84 points.
The real estate index soared 2.43%, banks and financial services (2.04%), transport (0.77%), insurance (0.32%), industrials (0.23%) and telecom (0.18%); whereas consumer goods shrank 0.69%.
About 46% of the stocks extended gains with major movers being Ezdan, Barwa, Nakilat, QNB, Commercial Bank, Alijarah Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Ooredoo; even as Ahlibank Qatar, Masraf Al Rayan, Widam Food and United Development Company were among the losers.
Domestic funds’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR44.1mn compared to QR35.22mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.08mn against net sellers of QR1.82mn on Monday.
Local retail investors’ net selling weakened significantly to QR83.44mn compared to QR99.54mn on February 25.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking eased noticeably to QR11.36mn against QR21.48mn the previous day.
However, non-Qatari institutions’ net buying declined influentially to QR47mn compared to QR87.93mn on Sunday.
The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR0.38mn against QR0.31mn on February 25.
Total trade volume rose 29% to 11.07mn shares, value by 34% to QR420.8mn and transactions by 8% to 6,860.
The transport sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 0.75mn equities and value more than quadrupled to QR23.97mn on 69% increase in deals to 310.
The consumer goods sector reported 71% surge in trade volume to 0.82mn stocks, 89% in value to QR87.8mn and 21% in transactions to 678.
The industrials sector’s trade volume shot up 53% to 2.93mn shares, value by 4% to QR57.49mn and deals by 14% to 1,850.
There was 50% expansion in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 0.72mn equities, 73% in value to QR22.31mn and 17% in transactions to 543.
The real estate sector’s trade volume grew 22% to 3.11mn stocks, value by 53% to QR63.92mn and deals by 27% to 1,877.
The insurance sector saw 4% jump in trade volume to 0.47mn shares, 2% in value to QR16.71mn and 2% in transactions to 267.
However, the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume declined 10% to 2.28mn equities, while value grew 9% to QR148.59mn despite 24% lower deals at 1,335.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
