The Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday opened the week on a stronger note, albeit slowly, and its key index once again crossed the 10,000 levels.
The Arab individuals’ strong bullish outlook drove the 20-stock Qatar Index up 10 points or 0.1% to 10,009.76 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,018 points.
The real estate, insurance and transport counters witnessed higher than average demand in the market, whose year-to-date losses were at 3.99%.
Foreign institutions’ increased net buying interests also had its role in lifting the sentiments in the bourse, where Islamic stocks underperformed the main barometer.
Market capitalisation saw QR77mn or 0.13% increase to QR596.38bn, mainly owing to microcap segments.
A total of 20,780 exchange traded funds (both Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR and Doha Bank sponsored QETF) valued at QR124,272 changed hands across three transactions.
In the debt market, a total of 175,500 sovereign bonds valued at QR1.76bn traded across two deals; while there was no trading of treasury bills.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where the realty and industrials sectors together accounted for about 67% of the total trading volume.
The Total Return Index was up 0.1% to 19,243.44 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.07% to 2,352.24 points, while All Share Index was down 0.03% to 3,090.57 points.
The real estate index shot up 1.02%, insurance (0.9%) and transport (0.61%); whereas industrials shrank 0.38%, banks and financial services (0.14%), consumer goods and services (0.07%) and telecom (0.06%).
About 58% of the traded constituents extended gains with major movers being Inma Holding, Medicare Group, Doha Bank, Ezdan, Qatar Insurance, Commercial Bank, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar and Vodafone Qatar.
Nevertheless, Qatari German Medical Devices, Qatar General insurance and Reinsurance, Investment Holding Group, United Development Company, QNB, Salam International Investment, Qatar Electricity and Water, Qamco, Ooredoo and Nakilat were among the losers.
The Arab individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.4mn compared with net sellers of QR3.07mn on October 15. Foreign institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR2.77mn against net sellers of QR21.21mn the previous trading day.
The Arab institutions were seen net buyers to the tune of QR0.09mn compared with no major exposure last Thursday.
However, local individuals’ net selling increased substantially to QR40.24mn against QR27.08mn on October 15. The Gulf individuals’ net selling grew notably to QR1.62mn compared to QR0.68mn the previous trading day.
Domestic funds’ net buying eased considerably to QR30.61mn against QR49.16mn last Thursday.
Foreign individuals’ net buying shrank perceptibly to QR1.47mn compared to QR1.79mn on October 15.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying also fell markedly to QR0.5mn against QR1.05mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volumes rose 21% to 200.81mn shares and value by 7% to QR359.65mn, while transactions were down 5% to 6,834.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume plummeted 37% to 19.68mn equities and value by 24% to QR32.11mn; whereas deals were up 8% to 934.
The market witnessed 24% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 2.47mn stocks, 51% in value to QR5.39mn and 53% in transactions to 189.
The real estate sector’s trade volume was down 7% to 48.91n shares, while value grew 4% to QR103.45mn despite 15% lower deals at 1,364.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 9.54mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR27.41mn on almost tripled transactions to 634.
There was 84% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 85.18n stocks, 27% in value to QR72.01mn and 16% in deals to 1,888.
The insurance sector’s trade volume soared 82% to 4.85mn shares and value more than doubled to QR10.77mn on 76% expansion in transactions to 254.
The banks and financial services sector saw 10% jump in trade volume to 30.17mn equities but on 6% shrinkage in value to QR108.5mn and 34% in deals to 1,571.

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