Foreign institutions’ increased buying interests on Thursday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange more than 23 points, after five consecutive days of bearish spell.
The consumer goods, insurance and transport counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.22% higher at 10,377.89 points.
Domestic institutions continued to be net sellers but with higher intensity in the market, whose key benchmark is however up 0.77% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation saw more than QR1bn, or 0.22%, jump to QR575.36bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining faster than the main index in the market, where the Gulf individuals were seen increasingly booking profits.
Trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes in the bourse, where the banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 57% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index rose 0.22% to 19,096.2 points, the All Share Index by 0.25% to 3,067.19 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.23% to 2,319.29 points.
The consumer goods sector gained 1.21%, insurance (0.33%), transport (0.31%), industrials (0.23%) and banks and financial services (0.18%); while realty declined 0.54%. Telecom saw its index tread a flat course.
Major gainers included Medicare Group, Woqod, Widam Food, Gulf International Services, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar Islamic Insurance, QNB and Nakilat; even as QIIB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Alijarah Holding, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qatar National Cement, Qatari Investors Group, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar were among the losers.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR36.38mn compared to QR20.38mn on October 23.
However, domestic institutions’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR14.96mn against QR14.74mn on Wednesday.
Gulf individuals’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR14.84mn compared to QR13.02mn the previous day.
Local retail investors’ net selling increased perceptibly to QR7.05mn against QR6.57mn on October 23.
Non-Qatari individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR3.09mn compared with net buyers of QR8.67mn on Wednesday.
Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened significantly to QR3.56mn against QR5.28mn the previous day.
Total trade volume fell 12% to 60.64mn shares, while value grew 27% to QR232.61mn despite 8% lower transactions at 4,098.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume plummeted 67% to 5.97mn equities, while value grew 10% to QR38.09mn despite 25% lower deals at 531.
There was a 31% plunge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 11.32mn stocks, 11% in value to QR28.58mn and 16% in transactions to 912.
The telecom sector’s trade volume was down 9% to 2.22mn shares, whereas value grew 6% to QR9.96mn despite 30% lower deals at 247.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume almost tripled to 3.08mn equities and value more than doubled to QR9.31mn on a 27% increase in transactions to 144.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 31% surge in trade volume to 22.74mn stocks, 50% in value to QR122.55mn and 1% in deals to 1,443.
The real estate sector’s trade volume shot up 26% to 9.96mn shares and value by 5% to QR8.76mn, while transactions were down 8% to 437.
The insurance sector reported a 2% jump in trade volume to 4.95mn equities, 20% in value to QR15.36mn and 32% in deals to 384.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
