The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday lost more than 23 points, thus further widening year-to-date losses by 1.47%.

Foreign funds continued to be net sellers, but with lesser intensity, as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.23% down to 10,147.88 points.

Domestic funds’ weakened net buying was mainly instrumental in dragging the key benchmark.

Market capitalisation saw more than QR1bn, or 0.18%, decline to QR562.18bn mainly owing to microcap segments.

Islamic stocks were seen falling faster than the conventional ones in the market, where local retail investors and the Gulf funds were increasingly net buyers.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where the banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 58% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index shed 0.23% to 18,672.96 points, the All Share Index by 0.13% to 3,000.4 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.28% to 2,285.57 points.

The industrials index shrank 0.71%, telecom (0.65%), insurance (0.55%), consumer goods (0.21%) and banks and financial services (0.02%); while transport and real estate gained 1.1% and 0.56% respectively.

Major losers included Qatar Electricity and Water, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan and Dlala; whereas Qatar Oman Investment, Salam International Investment, Al Khaleej Takaful, United Development Company and Nakilat were among the gainers.

Domestic institutions’ net buying declined substantially to QR30.71mn compared to QR59.28mn on Wednesday.

Non-Qatari individuals’ net buying shrank perceptibly to QR0.25mn against QR0.69mn the previous day.

The Gulf individual investors’ net buying also fell marginally to QR0.17mn compared to QR0.4mn on November 27.

However, the Gulf institutions’ net buying increased influentially to QR7.96mn against QR2.75mn on Wednesday.

Local retail investors’ net buying increased noticeably to QR5.64mn compared to QR3.98mn the previous day.

Non-Qatari institutions’ net profit booking fell considerably to QR44.72mn against QR67.09mn on November 27.

Total trade volume fell 19% to 49.06mn shares, value by 33% to QR191.84mn and transactions by 38% to 6,170.

The industrials sector reported a 40% plunge in trade volume to 9.65mn equities, 18% in value to QR23.6mn and 10% in deals to 1,181.

The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 36% to 1.87mn stocks, while value grew 4% to QR4.72mn and transactions by 84% to 237.

The telecom sector saw a 27% shrinkage in trade volume to 3.72mn shares, 44% in value to QR15.72mn and 29% in deals to 761.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 24% to 18.76mn equities, value by 38% to 113.82mn and transactions by 51% to 2,977.

However, the market witnessed a 45% surge in the transport sector’s trade volume to 4mn stocks, value by 64% to QR16mn and deals by 34% to 224.

The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 29% to 7.85mn shares, whereas value was down 12% to QR9.46mn and transactions by 25% to 399.

There was a 28% expansion in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 3.21mn equities but on a 56% fall in value to QR8.52mn and 27% in deals to 391.

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


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