The market, which was skewed towards gainers, was seen recovering from an intraday low of 10,450 points.
The domestic institutions’ weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses were curtailed to 1.31%.
More than 53% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation saw QR2.79bn or 0.46% jump to QR606.42bn, mainly on account of midcap segments.
The local retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw a total of 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.04mn changed hands across seven deals.
The Gulf institutions were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index expanded 0.66%, All Share Index by 0.56% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.33% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.
The insurance sector index surged 6.36%, banks and financial services (0.94%), real estate (0.5%) and industrials (0.22%); while transport declined 2.03%, telecom (0.4%) and consumer goods and services (0.22%).
Major gainers in the main market included Qatar Insurance, QLM, Mannai Corporation, Gulf International Services, Qatari German Medical Devices, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Qamco, Ezdan and United Development Company.
Nevertheless, Zad Holding, Gulf Warehousing, Beema, Nakilat, Qatar National Cement and Aamal Company were among the losers in the main market. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR12.01mn compared to QR2.62mn on February 23.
The domestic institutions’ net selling declined substantially to QR2.51mn against QR31.79mn the previous trading day.
However, the Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR15.3mn compared with net buyers of QR1.15mn last Thursday.
The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR2.64mn against net buyers of QR4.45mn on February 23.
The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR0.35mn compared to QR0.02mn the previous trading day.
The Arab individual investors’ net buying declined noticeably to QR3.33mn against QR13.74mn last Thursday.
The local individual investors’ net buying shrank markedly to QR5.47mn compared to QR9.77mn on February 23.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net buyers to the extent of QR0.09mn the previous trading day.
The main market saw a 22% contraction in trade volumes to 96.78mn shares, 34% in value to QR293.01mn and 35% in deals to 9,098.
