Local retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser vigour as the Qatar Stock Exchange opened the week on Sunday with 115 points gains to cross the 9,600 mark.
Buying was seen more pronounced – especially in the industrials, telecom, consumer goods and transport counters – to lift the 20-stock Qatar Index 1.21% to 9600.97 points.
Foreign institutions turned net buyers in the market, where trading turnover and volumes were on the decline.
Nevertheless, there was increased net profit booking by domestic institutions and both Gulf and foreign individual investors turned net profit takers in the bourse, which is down 7.94% year-to-date.
The index that tracks Shariah-principled stocks was seen gaining slower than the other indices in the market, where industrials, banking, consumer goods and real estate stocks together accounted for about 91% of the total trading volume.
Market capitalisation surged 1.21% or more than QR6bn to QR512.39bn with mid, micro and large cap equities gaining 2.01%, 1.73% and 1.1% respectively.
The Total Return Index soared 1.21% to 14,973.68 points, All Share Index by 1.14% to 2,561.44 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.89% to 3,446.18 points.
Industrials stocks appreciated 2.13%, telecom (1.32%), consumer goods (1.3%), transport (1.27%), realty (0.8%), banks and financial services (0.77%) and insurance (0.53%).
About 83% of the stocks extended gains with major movers being Gulf International Services, Industries Qatar, Qatari Investors Group, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Ooredoo, Milaha, Nakilat, QNB, QIIB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Salam International Investment, Barwa, Ezdan and United Development Company; even as al khaliji, Qatar General and Reinsurance and Mazaya Qatar bucked the trend.
Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.36mn against net sellers of QR62.05mn on February 11.
However, domestic institutions’ net selling increased to QR41.87mn compared to QR5.42mn last Thursday.
Local retail investors’ net buying weakened to QR43.49mn against QR67.02mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari individual investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR1.19mn compared with net buyers of QR4.01mn on February 11.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.74mn against net buyers of QR1.91mn last Thursday.
The GCC institutions’ net profit booking weakened to QR4.1mn compared to QR5.45mn the previous trading day.
Total trade volume was down 5% to 8.09mn shares, value by 25% to QR238.29mn and deals by 19% to 3,493.
There was a 50% plunge in the transport sector’s trade volume to 0.1mn equities, 25% in value to QR4mn and 38% in transactions to 72.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume plummeted 38% to 1.52mn stocks, value by 38% to QR65.26mn and deals by 35% to 744.
The telecom sector saw 18% shrinkage in trade volume to 0.4mn shares, 69% in value to QR6.39mn and 61% in transactions to 235.
The industrials sector’s trade volume tanked 6% to 3.35mn equities, value by 16% to QR108.09mn and deals by 16% to 1,242.
The real estate sector reported 6% decline in trade volume to 1.2mn stocks and 9% in value to QR23.68mn but on 3% gain in transactions to 481.
However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 1.29mn shares, value soared 24% to QR25.86mn and deals by 86% to 665.
The insurance sector saw 44% surge in trade volume to 0.23mn equities but on 50% shrinkage in value to QR5.02mn and 55% in transactions to 54.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and government bonds.
