The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday settled marginally lower, mainly dragged by increased selling pressure from domestic funds.

Transport counter witnessed higher than the average selling pressure, leading to a 0.09% decline in the 20-stock Qatar Index to 10,217.92 points.

The Gulf individuals turned net profit takers in the market, whose sensitive index is down 0.79% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation was down QR33mn or 0.06% to QR575.73bn mainly owing to small and microcap segments.

Islamic equities were seen declining slower than the main index in the market, where foreign institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where real estate and industrials sectors together accounted for about 72% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index was down 0.09% to 18,801.84 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.06% to 2,392.93 points, while All Share Index gained 0.03% to 3,133.97 points.

The transport index declined 0.92%, industrials (0.09%) and consumer goods (0.02%); whereas insurance gained 0.65%, realty (0.19%), banks and financial services (0.1%) and telecom (0.03%).

About 55% of the traded stocks were in the red with major losers being Gulf Warehousing, Milaha, Nakilat, Doha Bank, Commercial Bank, al khaliji, Qatar First Bank, Islamic Holding Group, Qatari Investors Group, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Gulf International Services, Mazaya Qatar and Barwa; even as Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Aamal Company, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices and Salam International Investment were among the prime gainers.

Domestic institutions’ net profit booking expanded significantly to QR25.05mn against QR15.49mn the previous day.

The Gulf individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.41mn compared with net buyers of QR1.04mn on April 8.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying declined considerably to QR27.04mn against QR46.5mn on Monday.

However, non-Qatari individuals’ net buying grew marginally to QR3.06mn compared to QR2.66mn the previous day.

Local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened significantly to QR2.62mn against QR28.21mn on April 8.

The Gulf institutions’ net selling declined perceptibly to QR1.02mn compared to QR6.5mn on Monday.

Total trade volume fell 30% to 10.87mn shares, value by 9% to QR261.79mn and transactions by 16% to 5,468.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 59% to 0.54mn equities, value by 69% to QR10.17mn and deals by 6% to 412.

The realty sector reported 40% plunge in trade volume to 4.36mn stocks, 29% in value to QR58.28mn and 22% in transactions to 1,681.

The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 39% to 0.33mn shares, value by 16% to QR13.47mn and deals by 24% to 226.

The banks and financial services sector saw 37% shrinkage in trade volume to 1.7mn equities but on 5% jump in value to QR84.22mn despite 35% lower transactions at 854.

The insurance sector’s trade volume declined 22% to 0.14mn stocks, value by 30% to QR3.9mn and deals by 25% to 143.

However, the transport sector’s trade volume almost tripled to 0.34mn shares and value more than quadrupled to QR18.33mn on more than doubled transactions to 242.

There was 3% growth in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 3.45mn equities and 7% in value to QR73.42mn but on 6% fall in deals to 1,910.

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

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