The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week on a stronger note and its key index gained 42 points to once again cross the 9,800 levels, mainly lifted by Arab individuals and foreign funds.
A higher-than-average demand for the industrials and real estate sectors saw the 20-stock Qatar Index settle 0.43% higher at 9,809.05 points, although it touched a low of 9,747 points intraday.
Islamic equities were seen outperforming the market and other indices on the market, whose year-to-date losses were at 5.91%.
Market capitalisation saw more than QR3bn or 0.55% increase to QR571.54bn, mainly owing to small and midcap segments.
A total of 13,109 exchange traded funds (both QATR and QETF) valued at QR102,948 changed hands across five transactions; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
Trade turnover declined amidst marginally higher volumes on the market, where the realty, banking and industrials sectors together accounted for more than 85% of the total trading volume.
The Total Return Index gained 0.43% to 18,857.57 points, All Share Index by 0.3% to 3,047.75 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.66% to 2,245.36 points.
The industrials sector index soared 2.33%, real estate (1.02%), insurance (0.14%), consumer goods and services (0.06%) and telecom (0.04%); while transport declined 0.5% and banks and financial services 0.28%.
Major gainers included Mazaya Qatar, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Qamco, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qatar National Cement, Baladna, Inma Holding, Doha Insurance, Alijarah Holding, Mannai Corporation and Ezdan; while Al Meera, Qatari Investors Group, Al Khaliji, Gulf Warehousing and Doha Bank were among the losers.
The Arab individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR7.84mn compared with net sellers of QR0.92mn on August 20.
Foreign institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR5.32mn against net sellers of QR45.42mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR4.15mn compared to QR1.64mn last Thursday.
Foreign individuals’ net buying increased markedly to QR2.81mn against QR0.67mn on August 20.
The Arab funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.14mn compared with net sellers of QR0.03mn the previous trading day.
However, local retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR47.1mn against net buyers of QR10.98mn last Thursday.
The Gulf individuals were also net sellers to the tune of QR1.97mn compared with net buyers of QR0.04mn on August 20.
Domestic funds’ net buying weakened considerably to QR28.83mn against QR32.94mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volumes rose less than 1% to 273.18mn shares, while value declined 18% to QR419.03mn and transactions by 13% to 8,880.
The telecom sector reported 62% plunge in trade volume to 1.65mn equities, 68% in value to QR3.2mn and 75% in deals to 92.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume plummeted 34% to 30.07mn stocks, whereas value grew 20% to QR88.64mn and transactions by 5% to 1,509.
The banks and financial services sector saw 8% shrinkage in trade volume to 55.93mn shares, 42% in value to QR96.43mn and 39% in deals to 1,764.
However, the real estate sector’s trade volume soared 15% to 121.18mn equities, while value declined 2% to QR141.93mn and transactions by 6% 2,677.
There was 14% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 55.24mn stocks, 2% in value to QR66.03mn and 7% in deals to 2,098.
The transport sector’s trade volume was up 6% to 4.23mn shares, value by 16% to QR14.52mn and transactions by 30% to 522.
The market witnessed 6% jump in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 4.88mn equities but on 6% fall in value to QR8.28mn and 10% in deals to 218.
