The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week on a weaker note with its key index losing 72 points on an across the board selling, especially in the industrials sector.
The bearish sentiments continued for the third consecutive day as the 20-stock Qatar Index closed 0.71% lower at 10,136.5 points.
The foreign institutions turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 5.1%.
About 61% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.55bn or 0.6% to QR591.48bn with midcap segments losing the most.
The Gulf individuals were seen net sellers in the main market, which touched an intraday high of 10,218 points.
The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.14mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.32mn trade across 28 deals.
The Arab institutions were seen bearish, albeit at lower levels, in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index shed 0.71%, the All Islamic Index by 0.79% and the All Share Index by 0.62% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover shrank amidst higher volumes.
The industrials sector index declined 1.05%, banks and financial services (0.56%), consumer goods and services (0.47%), transport (0.46%), telecom (0.37%, insurance (0.32%) and realty (0.18%).
Major losers in the main market included Doha Insurance, Vodafone Qatar, Milaha, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar, Woqod, Qatari German Medical Devices, Qatar National Cement and Al Khaleej Takaful.
In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares depreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Zad Holding, Beema, Aamal Company, Mekdam Holding and Nakilat were among the shakers in the main bourse.
The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR17.89mn compared with net buyers of QR5.46mn on November 23.
The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR0.35mn against net buyers of QR0.43mn the previous trading day.
The Arab institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.1mn compared with no major net exposure last Thursday.
The domestic institutions’ net selling decreased considerably to QR1.08mn against QR8.33mn on November 23.
However, the Gulf funds were net buyers to the extent of QR13.98mn compared with net sellers of QR8.71mn the previous trading day.
The foreign individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.68mn against net sellers of QR0.54mn last Thursday.
The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.54mn compared with net sellers of QR3.72mn on November 23.
The local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.05mn against net profit takers of QR1.26mn the previous trading day.
Trade volumes in the main market was up less than 1% to 107.67mn shares, while value shrank 8% to QR319.36mn and deals by 21% to 9,924.
The venture market witnessed a 30% contraction in trade volumes to 0.21mn equities, 52% in value to QR0.23mn and 49% in transactions to 23.