The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday witnessed a huge jump in trading volumes and its key index gained 42 points to cross the 9,900 levels.
Domestic institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.42% higher at 9,918.6 points.
Gulf institutions were seen bearish in the market, whose key benchmark closed 3.69% lower year-to-date.
Market capitalisation saw more than QR2bn or 0.4% increase to QR548.59bn mainly owing to large cap segments.
Islamic equities were seen gaining at par with the other indices on the market, where local, Gulf and non-Qatari retail investors were increasingly net profit takers.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase on the bourse, where industrials, banking and real estate sectors together accounted for more than 83% of the total volume.
The Total Return Index soared 0.42% to 18,251.06 points, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.42% to 2,250.66 points and All Share Index by 0.35% to 2,932.4 points.
The telecom index gained 1.92%, transport (0.86%), industrials (0.78%), banks and financial services (0.21%) and consumer goods (0.11%); while realty and insurance declined 0.43% and 0.07% respectively.
Influential gainers included Ooredoo, Gulf Warehousing, Milaha, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank and Doha Bank; whereas Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar First Bank, Alijarah Holding, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatari Investors group, Gulf International Services, Qatar General and Reinsurance, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar were among the losers.
Domestic institutions’ net buying increased considerably to QR27.04mn compared to QR21.32mn on August 21.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR10.14mn against net sellers of QR1.74mn the previous day.
However, non-Qatari institutions’ net selling grew substantially to QR19.5mn compared to QR10.88mn on Wednesday.
Local retail investors’ net selling also strengthened influentially to QR13.44mn against QR7.54mn on August 21.
Non-Qatari individuals’ net profit booking grew noticeably to QR2.44mn compared to QR1.16mn the previous day.
The Gulf individual investors’ net selling expanded significantly to QR1.83mn against QR0.02mn on Wednesday.
Total trade volume more than doubled to 124.01mn shares, value grew 42% to QR262.08mn and transaction by 82% to 8,959.
The consumer goods’ trade volume grew about seven-fold to 8.9mn equities and value more than doubled to QR16.08mn on almost doubled deals to 456.
The industrials sector’s trade volume increased almost five-fold to 65.76mn stocks and value rose 76% to QR72.05mn on almost doubled transactions to 3,416.
The telecom sector’s trade volume more than quadrupled to 6.89mn shares and value also more than quadrupled to QR28.14mn on more than tripled deals to 1,251.
The banks and financial services sector saw 68% surge in trade volume to 26.55mn equities, 9% in value to QR108.45mn and 64% in transactions to 2,204.
The real estate sector’s trade volume was up 1% to 10.79mn stocks, value by 47% to QR22.56mn and deals by 58% to 931.
However, there was 26% plunge in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 1.85mn shares, 24% in value to QR5.14mn and 25% in transactions to 288.
The transport sector’s trade volume was down 4% to 3.26mn equities; while value jumped 19% to QR9.65mn and deals by 45% to 413.
In the debt market, there was no trading of treasury bills and sovereign bonds.
