The foreign institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.64% to 10,531.19 points.
The insurance, transport, telecom and consumer goods counters saw higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated further to 1.4%.
The foreign individual investors were increasingly bullish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR4.49bn or 0.74% to QR607.47bn with midcap segments gaining the most.
The Arab retail investors’ lower net selling had its influence on the main market, which regained from an intraday low of 10,440 points.
The Gulf individuals’ weakened net profit booking also had its say in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.1mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.24mn trade across 19 deals.
The domestic institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index underperformed the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index was up 0.64%, the All Islamic Index by 0.43% and the All Share Index by 0.76% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The insurance sector index shot up 2.34%, followed by transport (1.7%), telecom (1.19%), consumer goods and services (0.98%), real estate (0.86%), banks and financial services (0.6%) and industrials (0.39%).
Major gainers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Doha Bank, Qatar Insurance, Beema, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, QNB, Qatar Oman Investment, Woqod, Al Khaleej Takaful, Barwa, Ooredoo, Milaha and Nakilat.
Nevertheless, Ahlibank Qatar, Salam International Investment, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Qatar Islamic Bank and Gulf International Services were among the losers in the main market.
In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares depreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net buying increased significantly to QR80.85mn compared to QR59.29mn on December 26.
The foreign individual investors’ net buying grew perceptibly to QR3.52mn against QR2.88mn the previous day.
The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.01mn compared with no major net exposure on Tuesday.
The Arab retail investors’ net profit booking weakened markedly to QR0.57mn against QR3.24mn on December 26.
The Gulf individuals’ net selling shrank noticeably to QR1.16mn compared to QR2.21mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR104.15mn against QR104.52mn on Tuesday.
However, the local retail investors’ net selling expanded drastically to QR54.08mn compared to QR33.88mn on December 26.
The domestic institutions’ net buying declined notably to QR75.52mn against QR81.69mn the previous day.
Trade volumes in the main market grew 21% to 155.74mn shares, value by 47% to QR738.2mn and deals by 94% to 29,221.
The venture market saw a 59% plunge in trade volumes to 0.12mn equities, 47% in value to QR0.17mn and 36% in transactions to 21.