The Qatar Stock Exchange on Monday scaled the 9,800 levels, propelled by strong buying interests especially in the real estate and transport sectors.
There were strong buying interests from domestic funds and local retail investors as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.24% higher to 9,806.13 points.
Gulf individuals were also seen marginally bullish in the market, whose key benchmark closed 4.79% lower year-to-date.
Market capitalisation expanded more than QR1bn, or 0.25%, to QR539.15bn mainly owing to small and microcap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining faster than the main index in the market, where foreign institutions turned profit takers.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the bourse, where the banking and real estate sectors together accounted for more than 64% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index gained 0.24% to 18,044.11 points, the All Share Index by 0.37% to 2,891.69 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.26% to 2,240.56 points.
The realty index soared 2.11%, followed by transport (1.3%), banks and financial services (0.29%) and insurance (0.13%); whereas telecom, consumer goods and industrials declined 0.55%, 0.42% and 0.1% respectively.
Major gainers included Industries Qatar, Barwa, Ezdan, Gulf Warehousing, Milaha, Nakilat, Commercial Bank and Salam International Investment; even as Gulf International Services, Qatar First Bank, Woqod, Qatar Oman Investment, Mannai Corporation, Al Khaleej Takaful and Vodafone Qatar were among the losers.
Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR21.59mn against net sellers of QR0.26mn on Sunday.
Local retail investors’ net buying increased considerably to QR8.33mn compared to QR0.35mn the previous day.
Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.61mn against net sellers of QR1.84mn on August 18.
Non-Qatari individuals were also net buyers to the tune of QR0.23mn compared with net sellers of QR0.94mn on Sunday.
However, non-Qatari institutions turned net sellers to the extent of QR20.8mn against net buyers of QR4.32mn the previous day.
Gulf institutions’ net profit booking strengthened influentially to QR9.95mn compared to QR1.64mn on August 18.
Total trade volume rose 4% to 44.58mn shares, value by 66% to QR142.71mn and transaction by 43% to 5,190.
The real estate sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 13.96mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR15.02mn on more-than-doubled deals to 683.
The transport sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 4.72mn stocks and value also more than doubled to QR11.06mn on a 40% increase in transactions to 268.
The banks and financial services sector saw a 26% surge in trade volume to 14.67mn shares, more than tripling value to QR82.39mn on more-than-doubled deals to 1,967.
However, the consumer goods’ trade volume more plummeted 92% to 0.6mn equities, value by 58% to QR3.5mn and transactions by 37% to 149.
There was a 53% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 1.26mn stocks, 29% in value to QR5.15mn and 2% in deals to 370.
The insurance sector’s trade volume tanked 46% to 1.22mn shares, value by 45% to QR3.24mn and transactions by 12% to 334.
The industrials sector reported a 28% shrinkage in trade volume to 8.15mn equities and 26% in value to QR22.36mn but on an 11% jump in deals to 1,419.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
