The domestic and Gulf institutions were increasingly into net buying on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which on Thursday lost more than 103 points, reflecting the weak sentiments in the Asian markets.
Foreign funds continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.97% lower at 10,544.54 points, having touched an intraday high of 10,647 points.
The Gulf individuals were seen marginally bullish in the bourse, whose year-to-date gains were at 1.04%.
An across the board selling, especially in the real estate and transport counters, dragged the market, whose capitalisation saw about QR4bn or 0.62% decline to QR612.51bn, mainly on small and midcap segments.
About 67% of the traded constituents were in the red in the bourse, which saw the Arab individuals increasingly into net profit taking.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the market, where the industrials and banking sectors accounted for more than 57% of the trading volume.
A total of 187,829 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored QATR and Doha Bank-sponsored QETF) valued at QR456,329 changed hands across 28 deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index declined 0.97% to 20,271.53 points, the All Share Index by 0.7% to 3,237.79 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.12% to 2,396.47 points.
The realty index tanked 1.85%, transport (1.37%), consumer goods and services (0.89%), insurance (0.61%), banks and financial services (0.59%), industrials (0.55%) and telecom (0.02%).
Major decliners included Dlala, Vodafone Qatar, Gulf International Services, Nakilat, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Al Khaliji, Baladna, Investment Holding Group, United Development Company, Barwa and Ezdan; even as Qatar National Cement, Doha Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Zad Holding, Qatari Investors Group and Qatari German Medical Devices were among the gainers.
Qatari retail investors’ net selling increased considerably to QR37.91mn against QR21.31mn on January 27.
The Arab funds’ net selling increased significantly to QR9.38mn compared to QR0.32mn the previous day.
The Arab individuals’ net profit booking grew markedly to QR5.81mn compared to QR1.36mn on Wednesday.
The foreign individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.98mn against net buyers of QR2.76mn on January 27.
The foreign institutions’ net buying eased noticeably to QR28.28mn compared to QR34.53mn the previous day.
However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR21.51mn against net sellers of QR9.54mn on Wednesday.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.17mn compared with net sellers of QR4.5mn on January 27.
The Gulf individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.06mn against net profit takers of QR0.22mn the previous day.
Total trade volume rose 17% to 223.39mn shares, value by 18% to QR638.86mn and transactions by 2% to 10,858.
The transport sector’s trade volume soared 73% to 10.7mn equities and value by 60% to QR43.17mn, while deals fell 11% to 596.
There was a 57% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 67.17mn stocks, 60% in value to QR132.79mn and 47% in transactions to 2,997.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume shot up 47% to 61.01mn shares, value by 36% to QR288.23mn and deals by 21% to 3,630.
The consumer goods and services sector saw a 14% expansion in trade volume to 31.08mn equities but on a 16% decline in value to QR56.09mn and 20% in transactions to 1,048.
The realty sector’s trade volume was up 10% to 30.27mn stocks and value by 19% to QR58.68mn, while deals shrank 19% to 1,361.
However, the market witnessed a 52% plunge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 8.06mn shares, 53% in value to QR22.74mn and 42% in transactions to 590.
The telecom sector’s trade volume tanked 49% to 15.12mn equities, value by 34% to QR36.67mn and deals by 36% to 636.
