The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday witnessed strong buying interests, especially in the real estate segment; even as it could gain only three points.
Foreign and Gulf funds’ buying interests were visible as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.03% higher at 10,192.19 points.
Local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the market, whose sensitive index is down 1.04% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation gained more than QR4bn, or 0.73%, to QR571.06bn mainly owing to mid and small cap segments.
Islamic equities were seen declining vis-a-vis gains in the main index in the market, where domestic institutions turned net profit takers.
Trade turnover fell amidst higher volumes in the bourse, where the real estate, banking and industrials sectors together accounted for about 83% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index gained 0.03% to 18,754.5 points and the All Share Index by 0.89% to 3,102.69 points; while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.08% to 2,387.82 points.
The realty index soared 5.93%, banks and financial services (0.42%), transport (0.33%), telecom (0.2%) and industrials (0.15%); while insurance and consumer goods declined 2.2% and 0.16% respectively.
Major gainers were Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, QNB, Al Khaliji, Qatar First Bank, Alijarah Holding and Industries Qatar; even as Commercial Bank, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Al Meera, Qatar Insurance and Al Khaleej Takaful were among the losers.
Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.87mn compared with net sellers of QR3.24mn on April 4.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR6.61mn against QR0.67mn the previous trading day.
Non-Qatari individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.99mn compared with net sellers of QR5.79mn last Thursday.
Gulf individual investors’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR0.9mn against QR0.05mn on April 4.
Local retail investors’ net selling fell influentially to QR11.53mn compared to QR16.15mn the previous trading day.
However, domestic institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR3.84mn against net buyers of QR24.47mn last Thursday.
Total trade volume grew 57% to 15.12mn shares, while value fell 1% to QR236.82mn despite 7% higher transactions at 5,364.
The realty sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 6.11mn equities, value soared 77% to QR62.24mn and deals by 38% to 1,556.
The telecom sector reported an 83% surge in trade volume to 1.7mn stocks, 82% in value to QR18.49mn and 66% in transactions to 426.
The industrials sector’s trade volume shot up 60% to 2.83mn shares, value by 35% to QR49.02mn and deals by 12% to 1,715.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 44% increase in trade volume to 3.58mn equities but on an 8% fall in value to QR68.2mn despite 2% higher transactions at 1,110.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume expanded 31% to 0.34mn stocks, whereas value declined 38% to QR24.22mn and deals by 23% to 255.
There was a 9% jump in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 0.24mn shares and 6% in value to QR7.23mn but on a 12% fall in transactions to 170.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 79% to 0.32mn equities, value by 80% to QR7.42mn and deals by 73% to 132.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
