The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Monday treaded a cautious path amidst fears of recession in the US and widening conflicts in the region.
The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index stood flat at 10,057.23 points.
The real estate, insurance and consumer goods counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date were at 7.14%.
As much as 77% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.73bn or 0.3% to QR579.07n on the back of microcap segments.
The foreign institutions were seen net sellers in the main market, which saw 0.05mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.15mn trade across 18 deals.
The Arab individuals were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The foreign retail investors were also seen increasingly net sellers 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, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The Total Return Index was flat, even as the All Islamic Index declined 0.56% and the All Share Index by 0.15% in the main market.
The realty sector index tanked 2.49%, insurance (1.03%), consumer goods and services (0.36%), telecom (0.16%), transport (0.06%) and banks and financial services (0.02%); while industrials rose 0.07%.
Major losers in the main market included Ezdan, Inma Holding, Dlala, QLM, Masraf Al Rayan, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Aamal Company, Qamco, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa, United Development Company, Vodafone Qatar and Gulf Warehousing.
In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Industries Qatar, QIIB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank and Woqod were among the gainers in the main bourse.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR56.13mn compared to QR7.6mn on August 4.
The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR37.46mn against net buyers of QR3mn the previous day.
The Arab individual investors’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR18.43mn compared to QR15.91mn on Sunday.
The foreign individual investors’ net selling grew significantly to QR13.67mn against QR2.95mn on August 4.
The Arab funds’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.12mn compared to QR0.13mn the previous session.
However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened drastically to QR127.26mn against QR43.48mn on Sunday.
The Qatari individual investors’ net buying decreased markedly to QR1mn compared to QR17mn on August 4.
The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking eased perceptibly to QR0.71mn against QR3.14mn the previous day.
Trade volumes in the main market rose 22% to 180.57mn shares, value by 58% to QR589.63mn and transactions by 62% to 20,587.
In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 0.84mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR1.6mn on 75% jump in deals to 56.
The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index stood flat at 10,057.23 points on Monday.
