The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday witnessed strong demand, particularly within the real estate counter, but overall it closed marginally stronger.
Foreign institutions were seen bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.21% higher at 10,274.85 points.
There was also lower net selling pressure from the Gulf funds and local retail investors in the market, whose key benchmark registered 0.23% declines year-to-date.
Market capitalisation saw more than QR2bn, or 0.36%, gains to QR567.36bn mainly owing to mid and small cap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining faster than the main index in the market, where non-Qatari and Gulf retail investors turned net sellers.
Trade turnover shank amidst higher volumes in the bourse, where the realty, industrials and banking sectors together accounted for about 89% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index gained 0.21% to 18,906.59 points, the All Share Index by 0.53% to 3,019.45 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.34% to 2,324.87 points.
The real estate index soared 4.58%, industrials (0.56%), consumer goods (0.52%) and transport (0.27%); while insurance declined 0.29%, telecom (0.16%) and banks and financial services (0.1%).
As much as 50% of the traded constituents extended gains with major movers being Ezdan, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar National Cement, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing and Milaha; even as Al Khaleej Takaful, Doha Bank, QIIB, Islamic Holding Group, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Vodafone Qatar and Gulf Warehousing were among the losers.
Non-Qatari funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.47mn against net sellers of QR4.93mn last Thursday.
Gulf institutions’ net selling declined substantially to QR9.89mn compared to QR15.82mn on September 5.
Local retail investors’ net profit booking fell marginally to QR8.25mn against QR10.67mn the previous trading day.
However, non-Qatari individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR0.65mn compared with net buyers of QR0.46mn last Thursday.
Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.18mn against net buyers of QR5.28mn on September 5.
Domestic institutions’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR16.51mn compared to QR25.71mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volume rose 38% to 104.53mn shares, while value fell 40% to QR159.58mn and transactions by 24% to 4,757.
The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 68% to 1.93mn equities, value by 67% to QR4.44mn and deals by 43% to 216.
The market witnessed a 50% plunge in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 1.88mn stocks, 22% in value to QR22.13mn and 34% in transactions to 358.
The telecom sector’s trade volume tanked 43% to 2.42mn shares, value by 56% to QR5.9mn and deals by 54% to 237.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 42% shrinkage in trade volume to 17.36mn equities, 68% in value to QR44.74mn and 54% in transactions to 1,082.
The transport sector’s trade volume was down 8% to 5.74mn stocks, value by 18% to QR14.61mn and deals by 48% to 247.
However, the real estate sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 47.79mn shares and value more than doubled to QR32.97mn on a 50% increase in transactions to 953.
The industrials sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 27.39mn equities but value shrank 13% to QR34.8mn despite 22% higher deals at 1,664.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
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