The Qatar Stock Exchange on Sunday gained about 15 points to surpass 10,700 levels, mainly on the real estate, insurance and transport sectors.

Domestic institutions turned bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose for the seventh straight session by 0.14% to 10,712.93 points, amidst weakened trading activities.

The Gulf individual investors were also seen marginally bullish in the market, which is up 2.76% year-to-date.

Market capitalisation saw more than QR1bn, or 0.21%, increase to QR595.35bn mainly owing to microcap segments.

Islamic stocks were seen gaining faster than the other indices in the bourse, where non-Qatari funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity.

Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the bourse, where the banking, real estate and industrials sectors together accounted for more than 63% of the total volume.

The Total Return Index rose 0.14% to 19,712.7 points, the All Share Index by 0.2% to 3,177.69 points and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.21% to 2,362.95 points.

The realty index gained 0.85%, insurance (0.77%), transport (0.59%), telecom (0.4%), banks and financial services (0.14%) and industrials (0.08%); while consumer goods was down 0.11%.

About 47% of the traded stocks extended gains with major movers being Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar First Bank, Vodafone Qatar, Dlala, Qatari Investors Group, Barwa, Ezdan and Nakilat; even as Commercial Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Islamic Holding Group and Mazaya Qatar were among the losers.

Domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR12.1mn compared with net sellers of QR37.19mn on January 16.

Non-Qatari individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR1.27mn against net sellers of QR2.46mn the previous trading day.

The Gulf individual investors were also net buyers to the tune of QR0.68mn compared with net sellers of QR0.14mn last Thursday.

Local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened marginally to QR68.81mn against QR69.02mn on January 16.

However, non-Qatari funds’ net buying declined significantly to QR60.92mn compared to QR113.41mn the previous trading day.

The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR6.2mn against QR4.6mn last Thursday.

Total trade volumes fell 26% to 63.56mn shares, value by 45% to QR194.88mn and transactions by 36% to 3,888.

There was a 59% plunge in the telecom sector’s trade volume to 6.81mn equities, 62% in value to QR11.71mn and 73% in deals to 344.

The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume plummeted 45% to 14.99mn stocks, value by 55% to QR99.87mn and transactions by 27% to 1,588.

The industrials sector reported a 25% shrinkage in trade volume to 11.43mn shares, 50% in value to QR18.22mn and 47% in deals to 551.

The real estate sector’s trade volume was down 9% to 13.71mn equities, value by 19% to QR22.09mn and transactions by 38% to 383.

However, the consumer goods sector’s trade volume shot up 46% to 9.63mn stocks and value by 14% to QR22.71mn, while deals were shrank 4% to 652.

The transport sector saw a 41% surge in trade volume to 5.82mn shares, 8% in value to QR17.19mn and 68% in transactions to 250.

The insurance sector’s trade volume soared 30% to 1.18mn equities and value by 1% to QR3.08mn, whereas deals tanked 14% to 120.

In the debt market, there was no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.


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