The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week weak on an across-the-board selling, particularly within banks, insurance and transport counters.
Local and non-Qatari retail investors were seen bearish as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.07% lower for the second straight session at 10,418.67 points.
However, the domestic funds were increasingly bullish on the market, which reported 1.16% gains year-to-date.
Market capitalisation saw QR18mn or 0.03% fall to QR581.63bn mainly owing to microcap segments.
Islamic stocks were seen gaining vis-à-vis gains in the other indices on the market, where foreign institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity.
Trade turnover grew amidst higher volumes in the bourse, where banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 61% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index was down 0.07% to 19,171.24 points and All Share Index by 0.24% to 3,091.35 points, while Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) rose 0.16% to 2,319.49 points.
The banks and financial services index shrank 0.33%, insurance (0.28%), transport (0.28%), consumer goods (0.19%), real estate (01.3%), telecom (0.11%) and industrials (0.03%).
More than 43% of the stocks were in the red with major losers being Commercial Bank, QNB, Zad Holding, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qatar Insurance, Mazaya Qatar, United Development Company, Ooredoo, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat; even as QIIB, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar First Bank, Woqod, Barwa and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding were among the gainers.
Non-Qatari individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.73mn compared with net buyers of QR2.24mn last Thursday.
Local retail investors were also net sellers to the extent of QR1.59mn against net buyers of QR6.89mn the previous trading day.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR1.73mn compared to QR9.21mn on December 26.
The Gulf individual investors’ net buying declined marginally to QR0.8mn against QR1.1mn last Thursday.
However, domestic funds’ net buying increased considerably to QR13.21mn compared to QR3.4mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net profit booking eased perceptibly to QR12.43mn against QR22.85mn on December 26.
Total trade volumes fell 9% to 46.89mn shares, while value grew 36% to QR157.5mn but on less than 1% lower transactions at 3,799.
The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 75% to 0.22mn equities, value by 74% to QR0.61mn and deals by 57% to 44.
The banks and financial services sector saw 43% plunge in trade volume to 16.61mn stocks but on 71% growth in value to QR100.33mn and 3% in transactions to 1,538.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume tanked 41% to 3.06mn shares and value by 37% to QR8.49mn, while deals rose 14% to 775.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume almost tripled to 4.17mn equities and value more than doubled to QR12.25mn on 41% expansion in transactions to 176.
There was 93% surge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 3.53mn stocks but on 25% contraction in value to QR5.98mn and 52% in deals to 184.
The real estate sector’s trade volume soared 84% to 7.5mn shares and value by 16% to QR7.21mn, while transactions were down 3% to 262.
The industrials sector reported 36% increase in trade volume to 11.8mn equities, 2% in value to QR22.64mn and 9% in deals to 820.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.