The Qatar Stock Exchange on Monday witnessed increased buying interests of foreign institutions; yet it settled 47 points lower.
Both local retail investors and domestic funds continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity, even as the 20-stock Qatar Index lost 0.44% to 10,540.18 points, having recovered from an intraday low of 10,485 points.
An across the board selling – notably in the consumer goods, real estate and insurance counters – was visible on the market, whose year-to-date gains were at 1.1%.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase on the bourse, where the banking and industrials sectors together accounted for more than 62% of the total trading volume.
Islamic equities declined faster than the conventional ones on the market, whose capitalisation saw more than QR2bn or 0.42% decline to QR607.14bn, mainly on midcap segments.
A total of 67,305 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan sponsored QATR and Doha Bank-sponsored QETF) valued at QR200,918 changed hands across seven deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index shrank 0.44% to 20,263.15 points, All Share Index by 0.4% to 3,226.45 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.63% to 2,408.63 points.
The consumer goods and services sector index tanked 1.64%, realty (1.1%), insurance (0.94%), telecom (0.36%), industrials (0.32%), transport (0.24%) and banks and financial services (0.16%).
About 70% of the traded stocks were in the red with major shakers being Mazaya Qatar, Salam International Investment, Inma Holding, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Dlala, Alijarah Holding, Qatar First Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Medicare Group, Woqod, Baladna, Qatar Electricity and Water, Aamal Company, Investment Holding Group, Qatar Insurance and Ezdan; even as Gulf International Services, Al Meera, Qatar National Cement, Zad Holding and Doha Bank were among the gainers.
The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR24.29mn against net buyers of QR8.91mn on December 20.
The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR21.7mn compared with net buyers of QR7.36mn the previous day.
The foreign individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR3.72mn against net buyers of QR0.11mn on Sunday.
However, foreign funds’ net buying increased considerably to QR76.18mn compared to QR31.76mn on December 20.
The Gulf individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR2.46mn against net sellers of QR2.1mn the previous day.
Local individuals’ net profit booking eased substantially to QR17.78mn compared to QR30.37mn on Sunday.
The domestic funds’ net selling declined noticeably to QR10.82mn against QR14.77mn on December 20.
The Arab institutions’ net profit booking fell marginally to QR0.39mn compared to QR0.88mn the previous day.
Total trade volumes grew 17% to 305.13mn shares, value by 20% to QR663.57mn and transactions by 44% to 13,887.
The transport sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 5.76mn equities and value soared 77% to QR20.73mn on more than doubled deals to 666.
The real estate sector reported 82% surge in trade volume to 57.29mn stocks, 55% in value to QR85.13mn and 64% in transactions to 1,868.
The industrials sector’s trade volume soared 45% to 118.82mn shares, value by 52% to QR183.5mn and deals by 45% to 3,229.
There was 15% expansion in the consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume to 43.2mn equities but on 4% fall in value to QR81.5mn despite 10% higher transactions at 1,799.
However, the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume plummeted 26% to 70.64mn stocks, while value shot up 4% to QR258.01mn and deals by 45% to 5,049.
The telecom sector saw 18% shrinkage in trade volume to 6.78mn shares and less than 1% in value to QR28.9mn but on 43% expansion in transactions to 1,057.
The insurance sector’s trade volume was down 8% to 2.63mn equities, while value gained 20% to QR5.79mn and deals by 78% to 219.
