The telecom, consumer goods and transport counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 5.31%.
The foreign retail investors’ weakened net profit booking had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR3.24bn or 0.55% to QR590.2bn with large and midcap segments leading the pack of gainers.
However, more than 54% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, which saw as many as 0.22mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.51mn trade across 15 deals.
The local individuals were increasingly bearish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic index grew slower than the main barometer in the main market, which reported no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index gained 0.63%, the All Share Index by 0.53% and the All Islamic Index by 0.58% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the higher side.
The telecom sector index shot up 1.81%, consumer goods and services (1.63%), transport (1.04%), realty (0.69%), industrials (0.63%) and banks and financial services (0.21%); while insurance declined 0.51%.
Major gainers in the main market included Woqod, Nakilat, Ooredoo, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, United Development Company and Qamco.
Nevertheless, Doha Insurance, Al Meera, Dukhan Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, Dlala, Ezdan and Milaha were among the losers in the main bourse.
In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net buying increased drastically to QR107.08mn compared to QR11.01mn on March 13.
The foreign individuals’ net selling declined perceptibly to QR0.7mn against QR1.35mn the previous day.
However, the local individual investors’ net selling grew substantially to QR55.04mn compared to QR13.12mn on Wednesday.
The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR29.81mn against net buyers of QR4.83mn on March 13.
The Gulf funds’ net profit booking strengthened noticeably to QR14.95mn compared to QR2.84mn the previous day.
The Arab retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR4.13mn against net buyers of QR1.53bn on Wednesday.
The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking rose perceptibly to QR2.44mn compared to QR0.08mn on March 13.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third consecutive session.
Trade volumes in the main market almost doubled to 342.59mn shares and value more than doubled to QR1.23bn on 30% growth in deals to 21,155
The venture market saw a 5% contraction in trade volumes to 0.37mn equities and 8% in value to QR0.57mn but on 50% jump in transactions to 57.