The Qatar Exchange fell for the second day yesterday mainly due to selling pressure from domestic institutions.
Profit booking was perceptible, especially in industrials and banking sectors, as the 20-stock Qatar Index (based on price data) lost 0.2% to 8,916.90 points.
Local retail investors continued to be net buyers, but with lesser intensity, and foreign institutions pared their exposure in the market, which is, however, up 6.68% year-to-date (YTD).
Major losers included Industries Qatar, Mazaya Qatar, QNB, Alijarah Holding and Vodafone Qatar; even as Gulf International Services, United Development Company (UDC), Barwa, Milaha and Nakilat bucked the trend.
The 20-stock Total Return Index also fell 0.2% to 12,740.21 points, All Share Index (comprising wider constituents) by 0.33% to 2,270.40 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index by 0.18% to 2,702.98 points. All the three indices factored in dividend income as well.
Under the All Share Index category, the insurance index tanked 1.28%, industrials (0.81%), banks and financial services (0.38%) and telecom (0.05%); while that of transport surged 1.55%, real estate (0.22%) and consumer goods (0.14%).
Industrials, consumer goods, telecom, transport, banking and insurance sectors outperformed the key indices with them gaining YTD 19.44%, 18.15%, 17.78%, 17.23%, 7.98% and 7.43% respectively. The realty index rose 4.4%.
Market capitalisation fell 0.42% or more than QR2bn to QR498.07bn with large and small cap equities melting 0.6% and 0.26% respectively; even as mid caps rose 0.39%.
Mid, small and large cap equities have gained YTD 8.09%, 7.09% and 6.48% respectively; while micro caps lost 3.09%.
Of the 42 stocks, 19 advanced, while 14 declined, six were unchanged and three were not traded.
Domestic institutions’ net selling rose to 5.02% or QR12.30mn. A higher 30.49% of them were into buying against 23.72% the previous day and a higher 35.51% of them into selling compared to 28.65%.
Foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of 2.64% or QR6.47mn. A lower 11.93% of them bought equities against 20.83% on Wednesday and a lower 14.57% offloaded compared to 16.54%.
Non-Qatari individual investors turned net buyers to the extent of 1.66% or QR4.07mn. A higher 15.73% of them bought equities against 11.26% the previous day whereas a lower 14.07% sold compared to 18.3%.
Qatari individual investors’ net buying fell to 6% or QR14.70mn. A lower 41.85% of them purchased equities against 44.19% on Wednesday and a marginally lower 35.85% sold compared to 36.51%.
Total trading volume fell 31% to 7.40mn shares, value by 36% to QR245.07mn and deals by 27% to 3,651.
The banks and financial services sector’s trading volume plummeted 63% to 1.05mn shares, value by 61% to QR51.11mn and transactions by 35% to 890.
The telecom sector’s trading volume plunged 62% to 0.23mn shares, value by 57% to QR4.89mn and deals by 43% to 113.
The industrials sector’s trading volume tanked 49% to 0.44mn shares, value by 41% to QR42.42mn and transactions by 41% to 579.
The consumer goods and services sector’s trading volume declined 21% to 0.38mn shares, value by 46% to QR22.60mn and deals by 26% to 351.
The real estate sector’s trading volume shrank 20% to 2.42mn shares, value by 31% to QR43.36mn and transactions by 22% to 841.
The transport sector’s trading volume was down 3% to 2.78mn shares, while value rose 30% to QR76.03mn but deals fell 7% to 775.
However, the insurance sector’s trading volume rose 11% to 0.10mn shares, value by 6% QR4.65mn and transactions by 38% to 102.
Actively traded stocks (in terms of volume) were Nakilat (2.19mn shares); UDC (963,823); Mazaya Qatar (804,838); Milaha (550,360) and Barwa (499,712).
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills.
