Increased buying interests of foreign institutions on Wednesday helped the Qatar Stock Exchange gain more than 18 points.
Insurance and banking counters witnessed higher-than-average demand, leading to a 0.18% increase in the 20-stock Qatar Index to 10,236.22 points.
Gulf individuals were seen marginally bullish on the market, whose sensitive index is down 0.61% year-to-date.
Market capitalisation was down QR22mn or 0.04% to QR575.51bn, mainly owing to midcap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining faster than the main index on the market, where non-Qatari individuals turned net profit takers.
Trade turnover declined amidst higher volumes on the bourse, where real estate and industrials sectors together accounted for about 72% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index was up 0.18% to 18,835.52 points and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.36% to 2,400.81 points, while All Share Index was down 0.05% to 3,132.26 points.
The insurance index expanded 0.6%, banks and financial services (0.41%), industrials (0.17%) and consumer goods (0.09%); whereas real estate declined 1.65%, transport (1.33%) and telecom (0.12%).
More than 51% of the traded stocks extended gains with major movers being Qatar Islamic Bank, Al Khaliji, Qatar First Bank, Gulf Warehousing, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Aamal Company, Qatar Electricity and Water and Vodafone Qatar; even as Islamic Holding Group, Widam Food, Qatar National Cement, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Ezdan and Nakilat were among the losers.
Non-Qatari institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR33.42mn compared to QR27.04mn on Tuesday.
The Gulf individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.14mn against net sellers of QR1.41mn on April 9.
Domestic institutions’ net selling fell marginally to QR24.88mn compared to QR25.05mn the previous day.
Local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened perceptibly to QR2.18mn against QR2.62mn on Tuesday.
The Gulf institutions’ net selling strengthened noticeably to QR4.94mn compared to QR1.02mn on April 9.
Non-Qatari individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR1.58mn against net buyers of QR3.06mn the previous day.
Total trade volume rose 8% to 11.78mn shares, while value was down 8% to QR239.91mn despite 1% higher transactions at 5,500.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 0.71mn equities and value soared 43% to QR19.28mn and deals by 88% to 424.
The telecom sector reported 35% surge in trade volume to 0.73mn stocks, 22% in value to QR12.36mn and 2% in transactions to 419.
The realty sector’s trade volume shot up 11% to 4.83mn shares and value by 15% to QR66.79mn, while deals fell 16% to 1,412.
There was 6% growth in the industrials sector’s trade volume to 3.64mn equities but on 26% shrinkage in value to QR53.98mn despite 15% higher transactions at 2,200.
However, the transport sector’s trade volume plummeted 26% to 0.25mn stocks, value by 58% to QR7.79mn and deals by 32% to 165.
The insurance sector saw 21% plunge in trade volume to 0.11mn shares, 15% in value to QR3.32mn and 18% in transactions to 117.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume tanked 12% to 1.5mn equities, value by 9% to QR76.39mn and deals by 11% to 763.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
