An across the board buying, notably within industrials and banking counters, on Sunday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange more than 44 points and its key index inched near 10,200 levels.

Foreign funds were seen net buyers and there was increased net buying by non-Qatari retail investors as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.44% higher at 10,192.05 points.

Both domestic and Gulf funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the market, which is down 1.04% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation saw more than QR3bn or 0.55% increase to QR565.3bn mainly owing to small and midcap segments.

Islamic stocks were seen gaining slower than the other indices in the market, where local retail investors turned net profit takers.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where banking sector alone accounted for about 43% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index gained 0.44% to 18,754.23 points, All Share Index by 0.5% to 3,015.27 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.32% to 2,292.97 points.

The industrials index rose 0.64%, banks and financial services (0.63%), insurance (0.18%), transport (0.15%), telecom (0.09%), consumer goods (0.07%) and real estate (0.02%).

Major gainers included Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Milaha, QNB, Industries Qatar, Doha Bank, QIIB, Qatar Oman Investment, Salam International Investment, Vodafone Qatar and Barwa; even as Alijarah Holding, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Doha Insurance, United Development Company and Nakilat were among the losers.

Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.29mn against net profit takers of QR44.72mn on November 28.

Non-Qatari individuals’ net buying increased influentially to QR1.67mn compared to QR0.25mn the previous trading day.

However, local retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR19.49mn against net buyers of QR5.64mn last Thursday.

The Gulf individuals were also net sellers to the tune of QR0.32mn compared with net buyers of QR0.17mn on November 28.

Domestic institutions’ net buying declined substantially to QR14.08mn against QR30.71mn the previous trading day.

The Gulf institutions’ net buying also weakened perceptibly to QR1.77mn compared to QR7.96mn last Thursday

Total trade volume fell 34% to 32.54mn shares, value by 58% to QR81.24mn and transactions by 48% to 3,181.

The insurance sector reported 85% plunge in trade volume to 0.28mn equities, 87% in value to QR0.61mn and 87% in deals to 31.

The real estate sector’s trade volume plummeted 49% to 4mn stocks, value by 63% to QR3.46mn and transactions by 72% to 110.

The market witnessed 40% shrinkage in the transport sector’s trade volume to 2.39mn shares, 24% in value to QR12.1mn and 33% in deals to 151.

The industrials sector’s trade volume tanked 37% to 6.04mn equities, value by 67% to QR7.72mn and transactions by 40% to 704.

The telecom sector saw 34% decline in trade volume to 2.46mn stocks, 30% in value to QR10.89mn and 28% in deals to 551.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume shrank 26% to 13.96mn shares, value by 69% to 35.81mn and transactions by 51% to 1,459.

However, there was 7% jump in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 3.42mn equities and 24% in value to QR10.53mn but on 55% fall in deals to 175.

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


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