Faster decline, especially within the first 60 minutes of opening, had its spell on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which on Monday sunk below 10,300 points.
Gulf institutions were increasingly net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.14% lower at 10,299.03 points.
Insurance, transport, real estate, consumer goods and banking counters witnessed selling pressure on the market, whose key benchmark saw a flat course year-to-date.
Market capitalisation saw QR32mn or 0.06% fall to QR572.19bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic equities however saw some gains vis-à-vis declines in the other indices on the market, where domestic institutions turned bearish.
Trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes on the bourse, where industrials, banking and consumer goods sectors together accounted for about 78% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index was down 0.14% to 18,951.09 points and All Share Index by 0.2% to 3,039.65 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was up 0.01% to 2,326.61 points.
The insurance index shed 1.91%, transport (0.94%), real estate (0.5%), consumer goods (0.39%) and banks and financial services (0.21%); while telecom and industrials gained 1.15% and 0.32% respectively.
About 58% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Qatar Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Milaha, United Development Company, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Salam International Investment, Qatar National Cement, Aamal Company and Islamic Holding Group; even as Qatar Industrial manufacturing, Doha Bank and Widam Food were among the gainers.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR10.78mn compared to QR2.46mn on October 6.
Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR2.99mn against net buyers of QR17.43mn the previous day.
However, local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR6.12mn compared with net sellers of QR2.17mn on Sunday.
Non-Qatari funds were also net buyers to the tune of QR4.39mn against net sellers of QR8.5mn on October 6.
Non-Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR2.41mn compared with net sellers of QR3.03mn the previous day.
The Gulf individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR0.86mn against net profit takers of QR1.26mn on Sunday.
Total trade volume was down 1% to 56.56mn shares, while value rose 22% to QR150.4mn and transactions by 59% to 5,392.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 28% to 10.66mn equities and value by 19% to QR18.76mn, while deals grew 32% to 691.
There was 16% plunge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 7.49mn stocks and 15% in value to QR7.28mn but on more than doubled transactions to 388.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.78mn shares and value more than tripled to QR3.05mn on more than doubled deals to 116.
The telecom sector reported 53% surge in trade volume to 1.93mn equities and 69% in value to QR12.16mn on more than doubled transactions to 813.
The insurance sector’s trade volume soared 33% to 2.44mn stocks and value by 26% to QR7.58mn on more than doubled deals to 366.
The banks and financial services sector saw 18% expansion in trade volume to 13.68mn shares, 19% in value to QR68.2mn and 79% in transactions to 1,449.
The industrials sector’s trade volume was up 6% to 19.58mn equities, value by 70% to QR33.77mn and deals by 20% to 1,569.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
