The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday treaded a flat path amid selling pressure at the telecom, insurance, real estate and banking counters.
The foreign funds were seen increasingly into net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.02% lower at 10,733.4 points, but recovering from an intraday low of 10,634 points.
The domestic institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 0.9%.
The Gulf retail investors were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR0.84bn or 0.13% to QR630.44bn on the back of microcap segments.
The local individuals continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw .06mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.38mn trade across 32 deals.
The Islamic index was seen gaining vis-à-vis declines in the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The foreign individuals continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Arab funds were seen net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Total Return Index was down 0.02% and the All Share Index by 0.05%, while the All Islamic Index was up 0.02% in the main market.
The telecom sector index tanked 1.09%, insurance (0.56%), realty (0.54%) and banks and financial services (0.1%); while transport gained 0.36%, consumer goods and services (0.31%) and industrials (0.2%).
About 65% of the trade constituents in the main bourse were in the red with major losers being Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar German Medical Devices, Commercial Bank, Ooredoo, Mazaya Qatar and Ezdan.
In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Milaha, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Doha Insurance, Baladna, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main market.
In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.
The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR83.24mn compared to QR40.93mn on October 16.
The Gulf individual investors’ net selling expanded notably to QR2.58mn against QR0.86mn the previous day.
The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased considerably to QR148.36mn compared to QR204.15mn on Wednesday.
However, the Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.09mn against net sellers of QR0.39mn on October 16.
The Qatari individuals’ net selling weakened significantly to QR46.17mn compared to QR100.55mn the previous day.
The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking shrank drastically to QR9.67mn against QR27.58mn on Wednesday.
The foreign individual investors’ net selling eased markedly to QR4.68mn compared to QR22.83mn on October 16.
The Arab individual investors’ net profit booking fell noticeably to QR2.11mn against QR11.02mn the previous day.
Trade volumes in the main market rose 9% to 189.28mn shares, value by 13% to QR598.58mn and transactions by 25% to 16,309.
The venture market saw a 96% contraction in trade volumes to 0.04mn equities, 96% in value to QR0.11mn and 88% in deals to 10.
The foreign funds were seen increasingly into net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.02% lower at 10,733.4 points, but recovering from an intraday low of 10,634 points.
