Six of the seven sectors witnessed higher than average demand on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which on Wednesday closed 29 points higher and its key index surpassed 9,550 levels.
Domestic funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.31% higher at 9,553.1 points, although it touched a high of 9,567 points intraday.
Foreign individuals were seen marginally bullish and there was weakened net selling by local retail investors on the market, whose year-to-date losses fell below 8%.
Market capitalisation saw more than QR2bn or 0.41% increase to QR557.44bn, mainly owing to small and midcap segments.
A total of 44,831 exchange traded funds (both QATR and QETF) valued at QR180,626 changed hands across nine transactions; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline on the market, where the banking and industrials sectors together accounted for more than 58% of the total trading volume.
The Total Return Index grew 0.31% to 18,365.52 points, All Share Index by 0.38% to 2,977.94 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.36% to 2,183.46 points.
The industrials index was up 0.68%, realty (0.59%), telecom (0.57%), consumer goods and services (0.48%), insurance (0.38%) and banks and financial services (0.33%); while transport declined 0.43%.
Major gainers included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Vodafone Qatar, Gulf International Services, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Woqod and Barwa; even as Dlala, Alijarah Holding, Ahlibank Qatar, Qamco, Qatar Islamic Insurance and Inma Holding were among the losers.
Foreign individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR0.8mn compared with net sellers of QR9.62mn on August 11.
Local retail investors’ net selling weakened considerably to QR17.47mn against QR28.52mn the previous day.
Foreign institutions’ net selling also declined noticeably to QR5.03mn compared to QR7.67mn on Tuesday.
However, the Gulf funds turned net sellers to the extent of QR3.18mn against net buyers of QR12.62mn on August 11.
The Arab individuals’ net selling increased marginally to QR2.87mn compared to QR2.61mn the previous day.
The Gulf individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR0.99mn against net buyers of QR0.78mn on Tuesday.
Domestic funds’ net buying shrank influentially to QR28.74mn compared to QR34.96mn on August 11.
The Arab institutions continued to have no major exposure.
Total trade volumes fell 41% to 184.01mn shares, value by 44% to QR308.69mn and transactions by 32% to 8,000.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume plummeted 65% to 19.05mn equities, value by 55% to QR49.09mn and deals by 48% to 1,052.
The industrials sector reported 42% plunge in trade volume to 50.12mn stocks, 53% in value to QR62.96mn and 38% in transactions to 1,639.
The real estate sector’s trade volume tanked 41% to 32.38mn shares, value by 41% to QR38.38mn and deals by 34% to 1,299.
The banks and financial services sector saw 40% shrinkage in trade volume to 57mn equities, 47% in value to QR105.08mn and 31% in transactions to 2,252.
The transport sector’s trade volume shrank 26% to 5.04mn stocks, value by 27% to QR15.45mn and deals by 33% to 463.
There was 9% slippage in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 6.01mn shares, 11% in value to QR10.46mn and 17% in transactions to 226.
However, the telecom sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 14.4mn equities, value soared 45% to QR27.27mn and deals by 34% to 1,069.
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