Domestic funds’ increased buying interests on Thursday led the Qatar Stock Exchange to gain 28 points to inch near the 10,200 level.
The insurance, transport, consumer goods and real estate counters witnessed higher than average demand, which led the 20-stock Qatar Index to gain 0.28% to 10,189.56 points.
Foreign institutions were seen marginally bullish in the market, whose sensitive index is down 1.06% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation gained more than QR2bn, or 0.36%, to QR566.92bn mainly owing to mid and small cap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining slower than the main index in the market, where local retail investors were increasingly net sellers.
Trade turnover and volume were on the decline in the bourse, where the banking, real estate and industrials sectors together accounted for about 70% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index gained 0.28% to 18,749.66 points, the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.02% to 2,389.69 points and the All Share Index by 0.32% to 3,075.39 points.
The insurance index soared 2.54%, followed by transport (1.8%), consumer goods (0.8%), real estate (0.33%), industrials (0.25%) and telecom (0.14%); whereas banks and financial servfices was down 0.09%.
Major gainers included Doha Bank, QIIB, Islamic Holding Group, Woqod, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Doha Insurance, Nakilat and Ezdan; whereas Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices and Gulf International Services were among the losers.
Domestic institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR24.47mn compared to QR3.13mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.67mn against net profit takers of QR7.05mn on Wednesday.
Gulf individuals were also net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn compared with net sellers of QR1.62mn on April 3.
However, local retail investors’ net profit booking grew significantly to QR16.15mn against QR1.62mn the previous day.
Non-Qatari individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.79mn compared with net buyers of QR4.01mn on Wednesday.
Gulf institutions were also net profit takers to the extent of QR3.24mn against net buyers of QR3.08mn on April 3.
Total trade volume fell 11% to 9.64mn shares, value by 3% to QR238.24mn and transactions by 10% to 5,021.
The insurance sector’s trade volume plummeted 58% to 0.22mn equities, value by 51% to QR6.81mn and deals by 43% to 194.
The industrials sector reported a 33% plunge in trade volume to 1.77mn stocks, 32% in value to QR36.34mn and 3% in transactions to 1,529.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 14% to 2.48mn shares, value by 12% to QR74.33mn and deals by 7% to 1,085.
However, there was a 73% surge in the consumer goods sector’s trade volume to 0.26mn equities and value more than tripled to QR38.9mn on a 90% increase in transactions to 333.
The telecom sector’s trade volume gained 12% to 0.93mn stocks, whereas value shrank 35% to QR10.17mn and deals by 57% to 256.
The transport sector saw a 6% expansion in trade volume to 1.51mn shares and 2% in value to QR36.53mn but on a 14% fall in transactions to 493.
The realty sector’s trade volume was up 3% to 2.47mn equities, value by 18% to QR35.16mn and deals by 1% to 1,131.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
