The Qatar Stock Exchange Thursday saw more than 51% of the traded constituents make gains although it treaded a flat path overall for the second consecutive day.
Five of the seven sectors were under the buying spotlight even as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.01% lower at 10,895.72 points, having touched an intraday high of 10,910 points.
The gainers were seen outnumbering losers in the bourse, whose year-to-date gains were at 4.41%.
The Arab and Gulf individuals were seen net buyers in the market, whose capitalisation saw QR64mn or 0.1% increase to QR632.03bn, mainly owing to microcap segments.
The Islamic index was seen declining faster the main index in the market, which saw the consumer goods sector alone constituted more than 51% of the total trading volume.
A higher than average selling pressure was seen in the telecom and transport counters in the bourse, which saw a total of 91,875 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored QATR and Doha Bank-sponsored QETF) valued at QR885,667 changed hands across 21 deals; while in the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The Total Return Index was down 0.01% to 21,568.74 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.06% to 2,526.21 points, while the All Share Index rose 0.06% to 3,444.86 points.
The telecom and transport index shrank 0.93% and 0.38% respectively; whereas insurance gained 0.58%, consumer goods and services (0.35%), industrials (0.2%), banks and financial services (0.04%) and real estate (0.04%).
Major losers included Qatar Oman Investment, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Widam Food, Vodafone Qatar and Ooredoo; even as Salam International Investment, Al Khaleej Takaful, Investment Holding Group, Aamal Company, Ahlibank Qatar, Alijarah Holding, Qatar First Bank and Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance were among the gainers.
Local retail investors’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR5.74mn compared to QR3.54mn on May 5.
Foreign individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.17mn against net buyers of QR4.93mn on Wednesday.
Foreign institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR15.81mn compared to QR43.54mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR2.62mn against QR7.22mn on May 5.
However, Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR4.15mn compared with net sellers of QR0.7mn on Wednesday.
The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.95mn against net sellers of QR0.15mn the previous day.
The domestic funds’ net selling shrank significantly to QR15.57mn compared to QR51.37mn on May 5.
The Arab institutions continued to have no major net exposure.
Total trade volume rose 50% to 400.12mn shares, value by 23% to QR610.65mn and transactions by 30% to 11,465.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 205.7mn equities and value almost tripled to QR216.17mn on an 88% increase in deals to 3,056.
The insurance sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 6.74mn stocks and value more than doubled to QR23.32mn on more-than-doubled transactions to 399.
The transport sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 2.15mn shares and value also more than doubled to QR9.07mn on a 70% expansion in deals to 269.
The market witnessed a a 31% surge in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 98.16mn equities, 8% in value to QR135.27mn and 16% in transactions to 2,799.
However, the telecom sector’s trade volume plummeted 35% to 1.71mn stocks and value by 28% to QR8.61mn; whereas deals grew 60% to 420.
There was a 34% plunge in the real estate sector’s trade volume to 38.77mn shares, 39% in value to QR62.23mn and 24% in transactions to 1,112.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 31% to 46.88mn equities and value by 6% to QR155.97mn; while deals shot up 28% to 3,410.
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