Foreign institutions were seen increasingly into net buying even as the Qatar Stock Exchange was largely flat but remained above 11,300 points.
The Gulf funds and Arab individuals turned bullish even as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.02% lower at 11,311.25 points, after touching an intraday high of 11,331 points.
The Gulf individuals were increasingly net buyers in the market, whose year-to-date gains were at 8.39%.
The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the conventional indices in the bourse, whose capitalisation was down QR46mn or 0.07% to QR652.04bn, mainly due to microcap segments.
However local retail investors were seen net sellers in the market, which saw the industrials and banking sectors together constitute about 69% of the total trading volume.
The overall trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes in the main market, where the foreign individuals were increasingly into net profit booking.
The domestic funds’ net selling pressure weakened in the market, which saw a total of 70,801 exchange traded funds (Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored QATR) valued at QR180,323 change hands across nine deals.
The Total Return Index was down 0.02% to 22,391.29 points, the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.13% to 2,579.34 points and the All Share Index by 0.04% to 3,573.94 points in the market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.
The consumer goods and services sector index shrank 0.5%, insurance (0.15%), banks and financial services (0.1%) and real estate (0.7%); while telecom gained 0.31%, transport (0.27%) and industrials (0.18%).
More than 54% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being QLM, Ahlibank Qatar, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Qatari German Medical Devices, Al Meera, Zad Holding, Woqod, Widam Food, Baladna, Aamal Company, Doha Insurance, Qatar Insurance, Barwa and Gulf Warehousing.
In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mekdam Holding equities were on the decline.
Investment Holding Group, Inma Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Mannai Corporation, Qatar National Cement, Industries Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar Islamic Insurance and Nakilat were among the gainers.
Local retail investors turn net sellers to the tune of QR20.33mn compared with net buyers of QR8.86mn on September 26.
The foreign individuals’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR3.8mn against QR1.64mn the previous day.
However, the foreign institutions’ net buying strengthened markedly to QR18.2mn compared to QR7.28mn on Sunday.
The Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR4.68mn against net sellers of QR0.17mn on September 26.
The Arab individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR2.5mn compared with net sellers of QR0.95mn the previous day.
The Gulf individuals’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR0.55mn against QR0.24mn on Sunday.
The domestic institutions’ net selling declined considerably to QR1.8mn compared to QR13.62mn on September 26.
The Arab funds had no major net exposure for the fifth straight session.
Total trade volume fell 5% to 168.46mn shares, while value grew 9% to QR447.38mn and transactions by 31% to 10,474 in the main market. The venture market had seen 9%, 46% and 5% decline in volume, value and deals respectively.
In the main market, the insurance’s sector’s trade volume plummeted 44% to 1.89mn equities and value by 38% to QR5.62mn, while transactions were up 14% to 179.
The industrials sector reported a 24% plunge in trade volume to 78.31mn stocks, 17% in value to QR167.27mn and 14% in deals to 2,937.
The real estate sector’s trade volume tanked 21% to 11.1mn shares and value by 26% to QR15.85mn, while transactions grew 21% to 844.
The market witnessed a 2% shrinkage in the consumer goods and services sector’s trade volume to 23.18mn equities and 1% in value to QR40.75mn but on 21% increase in deals to 948.
However, the banks and financial services sector’s trade volume soared 88% to 37.61mn stocks and value by 85% to QR169mn on more than doubled transactions to 4,196.
There was a 51% surge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 11.68mn shares, 18% in value to QR29.27mn and 27% in deals to 910.
The transport sector’s trade volume was up 3% to 4.68mn equities, value by 4% to QR19.63n and transactions by 32% to 460.

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