The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday gained more than 47 points to once again cross the 9,200 level, mainly lifted by the banking equities.

Foreign funds were seen bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.51% higher at 9,233.35 points, although it touched a low of 9,092 points intraday.

Local retail investors’ weakened net selling also had its role in the bourse, whose year-to-date losses stood at 11.44%.

Market capitalisation saw about QR2bn, or 0.36%, increase to QR523.23bn mainly owing to microcap segments.

Islamic stocks, however, declined vis-a-vis gains in the other indices in the market, where the Gulf and domestic funds turned bearish.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the market, where the realty and banking sectors together accounted for more than 68% of the total trading volume.

The Total Return Index gained 0.51% to 17,750.8 points and the All Share Index by 0.35% to 2,860.34 points, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.08% to 2,064.31 points.

The banks and financial services index soared 0.85%, followed by real estate (0.28%) and consumer goods and services (0.04%); whereas industrials shrank 0.60%, followed by insurance (0.59%), transport (0.31%) and telecom (0.12%).

Major gainers were Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, QNB, Alijarah Holding, Qatar Electricity and Water, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar; while Al Khaliji, Qatar Oman Investment, Commercial Bank, Qatar National Cement, Islamic Holding Group, Medicare Group, Doha Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf International Services, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Gulf Warehousing, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Vodafone Qatar were among the losers.

Foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR12.52mn against net buyers of QR12.3mn on June 10.

Local retail investors’ net selling declined noticeably to QR1.52mn compared to QR2.59mn the previous day.

However, Arab individuals’ net selling increased considerably to QR4.59mn against QR1.71mn on Wednesday.

Foreign individuals’ net profit booking grew significantly to QR1.88mn compared to QR0.57mn on June 10.

Domestic institutions turned net sellers to the extent of QR1.67mn against net buyers of QR5.53mn the previous day.

Gulf funds were also net sellers to the tune of QR1.37mn compared with net buyers of QR12.3mn on Wednesday.

Gulf individuals’ net profit booking strengthened perceptibly to QR1.19mn against QR0.69mn on June 10.

Arab funds had no major exposure.

Total trade volumes fell less than 1% to 185mn shares, value by 1% to QR298.05mn and transactions by 7% to 6,982.

The insurance sector reported a 50% plunge in trade volume to 4.59mn equities, 55% in value to QR7.92mn and 40% in deals to 258.

The telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 35% to 1.8mn stocks, value by 37% to QR3.76mn and transactions by 40% to 175.

The market witnessed a 32% shrinkage in the consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume to 11.27mn shares, 34% in value to QR16.1mn and 36% in deals to 565.

The industrials sector’s trade volume tanked 5% to 29.2mn equities, while value grew 28% to QR50.06mn and transactions by 4% to 1,526.

The banks and financial services sector saw a 2% dip in trade volume to 45.33mn stocks, 4% to QR120.42mn and 7% in deals to 2,614.

However, the real estate sector’s trade volume soared 17% to 81.14mn shares, value by 13% to QR69.17mn and transactions by 1% to 1,311.

There was an 11% expansion in the transport sector’s trade volume to 11.67mn equities, 11% in value to QR30.62mn and 51% in deals to 533.

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


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