The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday opened the week with initial gains to take the index above 10,500 levels but overall it could not sustain the momentum as the key barometer closed 25 points lower.

The transport, consumer goods, banks and industrials counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.24% to 10,439.67 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,516 points.

The domestic institutions were seen increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.62%.

As much as 62% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.51bn or 0.25% to QR607.05bn on the back of small and microcap segments.

The foreign retail investors were seen net sellers in the main market, which saw 5,880 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR0.01mn trade across four deals.

The foreign institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.

However, the local retail investors turned bullish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.

The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.

The Total Return Index fell 0.24%, the All Islamic Index by 0.05% and the All Share Index by 0.27% in the main market.

The transport sector index shed 0.73%, consumer goods and services (0.41%), banks and financial services (0.35%) and industrials (0.27%); while telecom gained 0.58%, insurance (0.48%) and real estate (0.38%).

Major losers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, QLM, Inma Holding, Doha Bank, Vodafone Qatar, Alijarah Holding, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Ezdan and Nakilat.

Nevertheless, Ahlibank Qatar, Gulf Warehousing, Qatar Insurance, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Ooredoo were among the gainers in the main bourse.

In the venture market, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares appreciate in value.

The domestic institutions’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR9.58mn against QR8.56mn on September 19.

The foreign retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.16mn compared with net buyers of QR1.51mn last Thursday.

The foreign institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR0.31mn against QR40.76mn the previous trading day.

The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR1.13mn compared to QR1.14mn on September 19.

However, the local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR7.4mn against net sellers of QR22.05mn last Thursday.

The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.21mn compared with net sellers of QR6.4mn the previous trading day.

The Arab individual investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.7mn against net profit takers of QR6.19mn on September 19.

The Arab institutions had no major net exposure compared with net sellers of QR0.22mn last Thursday.

Trade volumes in the main market plummeted 45% to 125.35mn shares, value by 63% to QR256.26mn and transactions by 44% to 9,014.

In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 0.32mn equities and value almost quadrupled to QR0.78mn on a 42% surge in deals to 27.